Effect of Pavement Damping and Aircraft Speed on Stress-Based Load Transfer Efficiency

Abstract

This paper documents a study of the dynamic mechanical responses of rigid pavement at the joint under moving aircraft loads. The MRC (pavement constructed on conventional base) section of Construction Cycle 2 test pavement at FAA's National Airport Pavement Test Facility was modeled with the three-dimensional finite element program ABAQUS. The model was calibrated by determining pavement damping parameters and joint stiffness values on the basis of heavy weight deflectometer data and strain profiles captured from dynamic sensors installed within the pavement at various locations. The effect of moving aircraft under varying speeds on tensile strains at the bottom of the portland cement concrete at the joint (εcritical) and dynamic stress-based load transfer efficiency [LTE (S)] at the joint is studied with three-dimensional finite element analysis. A decrease in εcritical at the joint with increasing speed was observed. The dynamic LTE (S) at the joint was enhanced at higher speeds. Sensitivity of dynamic LTE (S) at the joint to pavement damping was also studied with the finite element model. The dynamic LTE (S) at the joint increased with pavement damping. Finally, the effect of aircraft load and wheel configuration on dynamic LTE (S) was studied. Dynamic LTE (S) was sensitive to aircraft wheel configuration; however, it was insensitive to the magnitude of load.