Latest Washboard Stories

Physicists from Canada, France and Britain studying so-called washboard road ripples say their findings might eliminate bumpy vehicle rides. The researchers said they discovered ripples appear even when the springy suspension of a car and the rolling shape of a wheel are eliminated. To understand the washboard road effect, we tried to find the simplest instance of it, University of Toronto physicist, Stephen Morris, a member of the research team, said. "We built lab experiments in which we...

Just about any road with a loose surface "” sand or gravel or snow "” develops ripples that make driving a very shaky experience. A team of physicists from Canada, France and the United Kingdom have recreated this "washboard" phenomenon in the lab with surprising results: ripples appear even when the springy suspension of the car and the rolling shape of the wheel are eliminated. The discovery may smooth the way to designing improved suspension systems that eliminate the bumpy...