Rolling resistance of radial tyres during repeated passes over the same track in a soil test channel

Driving over the same spot multiple times is often unavoidable in agriculture and forestry, yet leaving the same ruts in the soil leads to challenging outcomes. While soil compaction causes excessive damage, it simultaneously enhances vehicle trafficability and reduces resistance forces acting on both wheeled and tracked vehicles. In this study, the rolling resistance was measured during repeated passes of a BKT 280/70 R18 Agrimax RT 765 radial tyre with directional tread over loamy sand with a 30% moisture content. Results showed a nonlinear dependence of the rolling resistance on the number of passes made. The greatest reduction occurred after the first pass, up to 54% at an inflation pressure of 100 kPa. Subsequent passes caused smaller decreases in the tyre rolling resistance until stabilisation during the seventh and eighth passes. These findings provide practical guidance for optimising mechanised vehicle operations to mitigate soil compaction and environmental impact. In addition, they can provide practical solutions for optimal vehicle management, and for reducing environmental impacts and soil compaction. To reduce the harmful impact of, for example, heavy forestry machinery, such as forwarders or harvesters, on forest soil, it is further recommended to optimise operational planning according to weather and forest soil conditions. If it is necessary to eliminate soil damage and ensure specific values of rolling resistance of mechanised means, it is possible to recommend movement on frozen soils, soils less saturated with water, the use of wider tyres, bearing in mind that in this case the choice of tyre inflation pressure is not negligible, or ensure a lower load on these mechanisms. From this point of view, logistical and organizational measures are not negligible, both in mining and agrotechnical activities.