Tire–Pavement Interaction Simulation Based on Finite Element Model and Response Surface Methodology

Acquiring accurate tire–pavement interaction information is crucial for pavement mechanical analysis and pavement maintenance. This paper combines the tire finite element model (FEM) and response surface methodology (RSM) to obtain tire–pavement interaction information and to analyze the pavement structure response under different loading conditions. A set of experiments was initially designed through the Box–Behnken design (BBD) method to obtain input and output variables for RSM calibration. The resultant RSM was evaluated accurately using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) approach. Then, tire loading simulations were conducted under different magnitudes of static loading using the optimal parameter combination obtained from the RSM. The results show that the deviations between the simulations and the real test results were mostly below 5%, validating the effectiveness of the tire FEM. Additionally, three different dynamic conditions—including free rolling, full brake, and full traction—were simulated by altering the tire rolling angle and translational velocities. Finally, the pavement mechanical response under the three rolling conditions was analyzed based on the tire–pavement contact feature.