The air-filled or pneumatic tire consists of a core filled with airtight sealed pressurized air. Usually, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other materials, provides the contact area with the road and seals this inner core.
The tire would remain inflated with all the weight of the vehicle resting on it, since the air pressure within the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure. The pressure of the air in the tire provides 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 that had wooden wheels, you understand exactly how huge of a difference a set of pneumatic tires can make.
Surely, there are some disadvantages to pneumatic tires. Like 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 can lead to a dangerous car crash. Military planners have to consider tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or firing 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 obviously don't suffer from these issues and hence, in certain applications, could be more suitable.
Pneumatic tires have another issue involving variations in tire performance and air pressure. Lower tire pressure can create improved traction and increased comfort. This is because of the fact that tires flatten a little and more tread is placed in contact with the road. The pressure of the air inside of the tire works to maintain the "up and down" stiffness as well as maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire. Thus, less air pressure enables the sidewalls of the tires to flex. This leads to poor handling unfortunately. Within an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
Air pressure factors into other issues too. With regards to to maintaining correct air pressure, customers are notoriously unreliable. Incorrect air pressure inside tires could lead to very dangerous situations. It is essential to note that pneumatic tires are susceptible to temperature changes also, which could be responsible for changing the internal tire pressure. It is essential to consider the type of settings you will be needing your machinery to operate in so that you could regularly check the tires and keep the machine as safe as possible.