The extent of pavement rut. ting attributable to studded tires was investigated to determine rhe extent to which pavement wear has contributed to rut development in Ala ka. The investigation is based on an extensive literature review as well as a survey questionnaire sent to all highway agencies in the snow zones of North America and Northern Europe. In addition, measurements of studded tire use and wheel track rutting taken at everal locatio1is in Alaska during the winter of 1990 provided new information. Very little research has been done since 1975 in this area, except in Scandinavia. Nearly all agencies co11tinue to prohibit or restrict the use period of studded tires, but enforcement of stud use is typically minimal. Very litcle new information on the percentage of vehicles using studded tires or on tire wear studies is available, except for recent stud use surveys performed in Alaska from 1989 to 1991. At the site studied, approximately 25 percent of all tire wei: e studded during winter. Factors affecting wear rates are defined and limited wintertime wear rate measurements in Alaska indicate that pavement wear occurs at a rate of about 0.1 to 0.15 in./million studded tire passes. The contributions of wear from studded tire abrasion in pavement rut development must not be ignored when factor· in pavement rutting are analyzed. Tbis analysis will be very difficult in many states because there i almost no information available on actual stud u e or on the wear rates from modern vehicles and tire types.

The public has long associated the use of studded tires with improved traction on highways during the winter monU1s when the road surfaces are often icy. However studded tires also have been shown to increase road wear on both asphalt and portland cement concrete pavements. This paper has been prepared to document the use and effects of studded'tires particularly in tem1s of producing wheel track ruts. Specific objectives of this paper are to