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Ground pressure
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Ground pressure is the pressure exerted on the ground by the tires or tracks of a motorized vehicle, and is one measure of its potential mobility, especially over soft ground. Ground pressure can be measured in (for example) pounds per square inch (PSI) or kilopascals (kPa). Ground pressure can be calculated with the formula (loaded weight divided by ground contact area) The ground pressure of motorized vehicles is often compared to the ground pressure of a human foot, which can be 9 - 12 PSI while walking or as much as 1,920 PSI for a person in spike heels.
Increasing the size of the contact area on the ground (the footprint) in relation to the weight decreases the ground pressure.

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Encyclopedia
Ground pressure is the pressure exerted on the ground by the tires or tracks of a motorized vehicle, and is one measure of its potential mobility, especially over soft ground. Ground pressure can be measured in (for example) pounds per square inch (PSI) or kilopascals (kPa). Ground pressure can be calculated with the formula (loaded weight divided by ground contact area) The ground pressure of motorized vehicles is often compared to the ground pressure of a human foot, which can be 9 - 12 PSI while walking or as much as 1,920 PSI for a person in spike heels.
Increasing the size of the contact area on the ground (the footprint) in relation to the weight decreases the ground pressure. Ground pressure of 2 PSI or less is recommended for fragile ecosystems like marshes. Decreasing the ground pressure increases the flotation, allowing easier passage of the body over soft terrain. This is often observed in activities like snowshoeing.
Example Ground Pressures
All example are approximate, and will vary based on conditions
Hovercraft: 0.1 psi
Human on Snowshoes: 0.5 psi
Rubber-tracked ATV: 0.75 psi
Diedrich D-50 - T2 Drilling rig: 3.8 psi
Human Male (1.8 metre tall, medium build): 8 psi
M1 Abrams tank: 15 psi
1993 Toyota 4Runner / Hilux Surf: 25 psi
Adult horse (1250 lb): 25 psi
Passenger car: 30 psi
Wheeled ATV: 35 psi
Mountain bicycle: 40 psi
Racing bicycle: 90 psi
Note
pressures for Man and Horse are for standing still. A walking human will exert more than double its standing pressure. A galloping horse will exert up to 500 psi
Related Reading
- Theory of Ground Vehicles
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