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Engineering ToolBox > Rolling Resistance

Rolling friction and rolling resistance

The force resisting the motion when a body rolls on a surface is called the rolling resistance or rolling friction.

The rolling resistance can be expressed as

F_r = c W (1)

where

Fr = rolling friction (N, lb_f)

c = rolling coefficient

W = normal force or weight of body (N, lb_f)

Rolling Friction Coefficients

Some typical rolling coefficients:

• 0.001 - 0.0025 steel wheels on steel rails
• 0.0015 - 0.0025 low resistance tubeless tires
• 0.005 tram rails
• 0.01 - 0.015 ordinary car tires on concrete
• 0.03 car tires on tar or asphalt

Example - Normal car on asphalt

The rolling resistance of a normal car 1500 kg on asphalt with rolling friction can be estimated like

F_r = 0.03 1500 (kg) 9.81 (m/s²)

= 441 N