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Sleuthing the Source of Washboard Roads
Article #1291
by Ned Rozell
Excerpt:
Bumps in the road surface cause the tire to hop in the air.
When the tire crashes down, it forms valleys by spraying sand
and gravel forward and sideways. The moving tire ramps out of
the valley and hops again. Thus, the washboarding process repeats
itself.
The washboard design spreads across the road when other cars
repeat the action of the car that initiated it. Mather pointed
out that bumps cause cars to react in the same way even though
vehicles come in different weights and sizes, and with various
suspension systems. He concluded, sadly, that other than slowing
to about 5 miles per hour or using balloon tires to cushion the
road, there isn't much drivers can do to prevent washboard roads
from forming. Mather, who is now 74, retired, and living in Eugene,
Oregon, said he still has heard of no solution.
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF12/1291.html
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