Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) announced it will introduce the 27.00R49 V-Steel Rock Deep Ultra (VRDU) aggregate tire at the Aggregate Academy & Expo (AGG1) in St. Louis, Mo., March 25-27. The VRDU is the first aggregate tire engineered with the company’s groundbreaking MASTERCORE technology, bringing the proven performance and tire life of the product lineup to the segment.

The 27.00R49 V-Steel Rock Deep Ultra (VRDU) tire is the first aggregate tire to feature Bridgestone’s innovative MASTERCORE technology. 

“Bridgestone’s MASTERCORE technology epitomizes how our company helps customers move more with less,” said Rob Seibert, President, Off-the-Road, Bridgestone Americas. “With the new 27.00R49 MASTERCORE VRDU, we’re adapting our proven technology from the mining segment to the aggregate industry, offering enhanced durability, performance, and value across a wider range of applications.”

The Bridgestone MASTERCORE VRDU is specifically designed for rock surfaces. It will be offered in four advanced compounds engineered to deliver performance tailored to the unique needs of each quarry operation. Applicable for dump trucks, the new tire is designed with several special features to help deliver greater efficiency:

• Deeper Tread Depth – The tread pattern of the VRDU boasts a 35% deeper tread depth. It is designed to provide haul trucks with superior traction on rocky terrains, better stability and comfort.
• Improved Tire Life – The MASTERCORE VRDU’s deeper tread pattern incorporates innovative cooling slopes and centre grooves to help extend tire life by 26% compared to the Bridgestone VRLS.
• Increased Load Capacity – The proprietary casing is engineered with MASTERCORE technology, which uses a wide and strong belt package and rubber compounds. This delivers up to 10% more load capacity versus Bridgestone’s conventional tires and key competitors.

The MASTERCORE VRDU will be manufactured at the company’s Aiken County OTR plant to support growing industry demand in the U.S. and Canada. It will be available later this year.