An air-filled or pneumatic tire is composed on an inner core which is filled with pressurized air and sealed airtight. Normally, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other type of materials, provides the contact part with the road and seals this inner core.
The tire would remain inflated with all the vehicle's weight resting on it, because the air pressure inside the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure. The air pressure in the tire gives resistance against forces which 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 which had wooden wheels, you understand exactly how huge of a difference a set of pneumatic tires makes.
Of course, there are some disadvantages to pneumatic tires. For instance in high-performance situations or highly dangerous applications, these tires can suffer a puncture and this will lead to a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds could result in a dangerous car crash. Military planners must consider tires getting blown out by firing of guns or explosion shrapnel. A vehicle crew's worst nightmare is becoming trapped within a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these type of issues and thus, can be more suitable in certain applications.
The pneumatic tire might have problems as well with the variation in air pressure and tire performance. The lower pressure inside a tire can increase the comfort level and the traction. This is due to the fact that tires flatten a little and more tread is placed in contact with the road. The air pressure inside of the tire works to maintain the "up and down" stiffness as well as maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire. Thus, reduced air pressure allows the sidewalls of the tires to flex. This results in poor handling unfortunately. In an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
Air pressure factors into other problems also. When it comes to maintaining correct air pressure, customers are notoriously unreliable. Wrong air pressure within tires can lead to very unsafe situations. It is very vital to note that pneumatic tires are also susceptible to temperature changes, that can be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is really essential to consider the type of environments you will be needing your machinery to operate in so that you could inspect the tires regularly and keep the equipment as safe as possible.