Behavior of Airport Concrete Pavement Slabs Exposed to Environmental Loadings

Abstract

The behavior of pavement slabs was measured over a two-year period from the placement of concrete at a construction site in Incheon International Airport using temperature sensors and strain gauges. The influence of various environmental factors on the slab behavior was investigated by collecting weather data. Laboratory tests were conducted to obtain the material properties of the concrete slab, such as the elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and modulus of rupture. The time of final setting of the concrete slab at the zero point of the strain gauges was determined according to the position and depth of the slab using the maturity of concrete obtained by a mortar penetration test. The real and shrinkage strains were calculated according to the position and depth of the slab using the coefficient of thermal expansion of the concrete, strain gauges, and correction factors of the strain gauges. The effects of environmental factors, such as temperature and moisture variations, were analyzed with respect to the strain in the concrete slab for the first seven days and two years after the placement of the concrete slab. The results obtained by the study shall be used to quantify the environmental effects on slabs for developing a method of designing airport concrete pavements.