• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1711-1718
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• 2004

When the tracked vehicle is running on various types of terrain, the physical properties of the interacting ground can be different. In this paper, the interactions between track link and soft soil ground are investigated using static sinkage theory of soil ground. Grouser surfaces of a track link and triangular patches of ground are implemented for contact detection algorithm. Contact force at each segment area of a track link is computed respectively by using virtual work concept. Bekker's static soil sinkage model is applied for pressure-sinkage relationship and shear stress-shear displacement relationship proposed by Janosi and Hanamoto is used for tangential shear forces. The repetitive normal loads of a terrain are considered because a terrain element is subject to the repetitive loading of the roadwheels of a tracked vehicle. The methods how to apply Bekker's soil theory for multibody track system are proposed in this investigation and demonstrated numerically by high mobility tracked vehicle.