Thread: How do corrugations form?

Originally Posted by uninformed

I would expect no less from the rovercare lineage....

Thanks

Hi,
we could self repair the roads of course.



cheers

Originally Posted by austastar

Hi,
we could self repair the roads of course.

cheers

I hear this is safe practice with a snatch strap too.

Hi,
Yes, I would put a 'weak link' in the line some where.

cheers

they guy in the photo did, he put the toyitsisan as the first link

To quote Tom Sheppard (the offroad and overland "guru"):
Corrugations "...are formed by the action (and harmonics) of the suspension and tyres of the track's major-user vehicles on the soil."

Usually, the heavier the vehicle, the more pronounced the corrugations will be. Hence, most corrugations will be formed by heavy vehicles (i.e. heavier than the average 4x4 truck) and thus being a result of their suspension physics. As their harmonics don't match with the ones of our vehicles, we encounter corrugations as shaking, to express it carefully. By adopting a "compatible" speed at which this effect will be minimised corrugations can be driven, but the unsprung parts of the suspension are put on high strain.

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

they guy in the photo did, he put the toyitsisan as the first link

No, he didn't, try again

Originally Posted by Discomark

If corrugations are anything to do with vehicle tyres you would think that only the section of road where the wheels run would be corrugated?
The corrugations seem to be as bad in the center of the road where no tyre contact is made. This is even the case on single track roads where the center of the track is seldom touched by vehicle tyres, other than the odd motorcycle.
When you look at the dunes in the Simpson you can see a similar pattern caused by the elements alone.

Go to the top of the class!! There's no doubt gravel road surfaces are damaged by heavy traffic, but for what reason? The fact is if there was no traffic you would ultimately get corrugations as a result of the manner in which different size particles aggregate from movement caused by wind... in extreme cases think desert dunes as Discomark points out. My good mate has made a (very!) comfortable living for yonks studying the mathematics of particle behaviour ...e.g. when sand /coal/wheat etc etc is dropped from a height ... understanding fluid dynamics is critical to all sorts of applications....coal loaders/conveyors/powder flow in machines pharmaceutical formulations for tablet manufacture etc

His well tested theory about road corrugations is that while the corrugations are compressed through constant pounding of heavy vehicles, they are actually "formed" as a result of the effects of constant air turbulence left in the wake of vehicles travelling at speed, where the particles are picked up and churned into a cloud. As they separate and fall to earth they self organise into "rows" based on weights/size etc etc.... how and why is beyond my comprehension...