"Operation Bigfoot" was initiated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service in 1988 to implement central tire inflation (CTI) to reduce the impact of commodity production such as timber and minerals on the forest environment. Cooperative work with other Federal agencies, industry and standards associations, manufacturers, and insurance industry representatives has helped make CTI technology viable and safe for commercial use. Accomplishments include validation of truck and road benefits, tire standards for low inflation pressures, and commercial availability of CTI equipment for trucks and trucks and trailer combinations over 24,000 pounds GVW (gross vehicle weight). Structures tests and demonstration projects indicate the benefits of using lowered tire pressures are real and that they can be implemented to reduce impacts on forest ecosystems. Verified benefits include: 20-30 percent reduction in required road aggregate thickness with CTI; 50-90 percent reduction in road surface maintenance with CTI; 10-85 percent reduction in road related sediment with CTI; Reduced driver injury and fatigue; Reduced vehicle operation and maintenance costs. Additional tests are planned to evaluate the effects of lowered tire pressure on pavement damage during thaw weakened periods, reduction in sediment due to reduced maintenance blading, and measured reduced impacts to the trucks. These and other planned studies will help implement CTI technology. (A)
Abstract