The viscoelastic deformation of tire rubber by road surface asperities was modeled by the rolling contact between a Kelvin solid and a surface motif, which is the part of surface profiles between two peaks. Stress and strain calculations showed that contact losses might occur locally, depending on the rolling speed, the viscoelastic properties of the Kelvin solid and the geometry of the motif. Mean vertical and horizontal forces were calculated, from which a coefficient of friction was derived. The model was successfully coupled with a profile analysis method to predict tire/road friction at low speed from road surface microtexture. The contribution of various texture scales to friction was emphasized.
