The air-filled or pneumatic tire is composed of a core filled with airtight sealed pressurized air. Usually, a reinforced steel belted tread or other materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact area with the road.
Since the air pressure inside the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure, the tire remains inflated even with a vehicles' weight resting on it. The pressure of the air in 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 ever taken a ride in an old-fashioned carriage that had wooden wheels, you understand how huge of a difference a set of pneumatic tires can make.
Pneumatic tires also come with disadvantages. Highly dangerous applications or high-performance situations for instance, these tires can suffer a puncture and this would result in a complete failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can result in a dangerous car accident. Military planners must take into account tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or shooting of guns. The worst nightmare of a vehicle crew is becoming trapped within a fire zone due to all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these kind of problems and thus, could be more suitable in some applications.
The pneumatic tire might have problems as well with the variation in air pressure and tire performance. The lower pressure in a tire could increase the traction and the comfort level. This is because of the fact that tires flatten slightly and more tread is placed in contact with the road. The pressure of the air 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 enables the tires' sidewalls to flex. Unfortunately, this leads to poor handling. In an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
Air pressure factors into other issues also. With regards to to maintaining correct air pressure, consumers are notoriously undependable. Incorrect air pressure within tires can lead to very dangerous situations. It is really important to keep in mind that pneumatic tires are prone to temperature changes also, which can be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is really vital to take into account the type of settings you will be needing your equipment to operate in so that you could frequently check the tires and keep the machine as safe as possible.