Abstract
The Airfield Mat 2 (AM2) matting system typically is employed as an expedient surface for airfields. It usually is emplaced over soft existing subgrades due to logistical, material, and equipment constraints. As a result, rutting is the primary failure mechanism. This problem is accentuated by the issue of traffic wander from landing aircraft. Mechanistic-empirical performance models are used to predict failures in various pavement structures, but this approach typically is confined to static load computations. Two-dimensional axisymmetric finite-element (FE) models can simulate cyclic loading but are restricted to a single point of application. This study properly investigated the soft subgrade deformation of the AM2 matting system under repeated, wandering aircraft traffic, which causes rotation of the principal stress axes and induces variations in excess pore-water pressures in the subgrade. We developed a full three-dimensional (3D) FE model that incorporates traffic wander using a pseudodynamic time-staggered series of tire imprints to represent a moving aircraft. The soft subgrade is modeled by implementing the Multi-Mechanical Model (MMM), a user-defined elastoplastic kinematic hardening model capable of modeling clays under repeated loadings and complex stress histories. The FE model matched well with multiple passes of measured earth pressure cell and single depth deflectometer data from full-scale testing. Results showed that rotation of the principal stress axes and changes in excess pore-water pressures occur in the subgrade because of the moving tire load. Findings suggest that the proposed 3D modeling approach implementing aircraft wander can provide a reliable platform for accurately simulating the subgrade response under pseudodynamic loading conditions.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. These data and models include the models for finite-element simulations.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33 • Issue 12 • December 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 3, 2020
Accepted: Apr 6, 2021
Published online: Sep 29, 2021
Published in print: Dec 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Feb 28, 2022
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