The air-filled or pneumatic tire is composed of a core filled with airtight sealed pressurized air. Typically, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other kind of materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact area with the road.
The tire would remain inflated with all the vehicle's weight resting on it, as the pressure of the air inside the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure. The air pressure inside the tire gives resistance against forces that try to deform the tire. This gives the tire a slight degree of a cushioning effect when the tire hits bumps in the road. If you have experienced taking a ride in an old-fashioned carriage which had wooden wheels, you understand how big of a difference a set of pneumatic tires makes.
Pneumatic tires also come with drawbacks. High-performance situations or highly dangerous applications for example, these tires could suffer a puncture and this will result in a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can lead to a serious car crash. Military planners should take into account tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or shooting of guns. The worst nightmare of a vehicle crew is becoming trapped in a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these issues and thus, could be more suitable in some applications.
Pneumatic tires have another problem involving variations in air pressure and tire performance. Lower tire pressure could create increased comfort and improved traction. This is because of the fact that tires flatten slightly and more tread is placed in contact with the road. The air pressure inside of the tire works to maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire as well as maintain the "up and down" stiffness. Therefore, reduced air pressure allows the tires' sidewalls to flex. Unfortunately, this results in poor handling. Within an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
There are other problems with air pressure. Customers are notoriously unreliable when it comes to maintaining proper air pressure. Tires which have wrong air pressure can result in dangerous situations. It is vital to note that pneumatic tires are susceptible to temperature changes also, which can be responsible for changing the internal tire pressure. It is really important to consider the kind of settings you would be needing your machinery to operate in so that you can inspect the tires regularly and keep the equipment as safe as possible.