Method of mounting tires to civil engineering vehicles and associated tire

A method for fitting tires to each driving axle of a vehicle carrying heavy loads, which enables a reduction of irregular wear in such tires, said method consisting in:

• choosing tires for said vehicle, these tires being provided with a tread (1) of maximum width L an outer surface of which forms a rolling surface, the tread itself being provided with a pattern comprising a plurality of relief elements (3) which delimit at least a plurality of grooves (31) extending transversely, each transverse groove being delimited by a first face and a second face (310, 311) of rubber opposite one another, the tread comprising:
• a median portion (M) of width between 20 and 50% of the width L of the tread, this portion being able to be provided with grooves (21) of substantially transverse orientation delimited by rubber faces;
• axially on either side of the median portion (M), edge portions (B) each comprising a plurality of transverse grooves (31), each transverse groove (31) being delimited by a first and a second rubber face (310, 311), the first face being inclined relative to a perpendicular to the rolling surface with an angle α different from the angle of inclination β of the second face opposite it;
• determining the type of journey made by said vehicle, namely either type A (i.e. ascending under load with a driving torque and descending empty with a braking torque), or type V (i.e. ascending empty and descending under load with a braking torque);
• when the route is of type A, fitting to each driving axle tires such that for each transverse groove (31) in the edge portions (B) of the tread, the angle of inclination of the rubber face delimiting each transverse groove which first comes into ground contact is smaller than the angle of inclination of the rubber face opposite delimiting the same transverse groove, or
• when the route is of type V, fitting to each driving axle tires such that for each transverse groove (31) in the edge portions (B) of the tread, the angle of inclination of the rubber face delimiting said transverse groove which first comes into ground contact is larger than the angle of inclination of the rubber face opposite delimiting the same transverse groove.