Feasibility of pervious concrete as engineered material arresting system for airport runway safety areas

Abstract

Abstract From the late 1960’s airport engineers developed special paving material for arresting aircraft gears in event of overrun as a partial extension of a runway end safety area. Such pavement surface material, inverting a general concept, should be crushed over the first pass of gear wheels resulting the aircraft to sink and being promptly arrested resulting in abrupt loss of velocity, preferability avoiding loss of lives and injuries as well as with minimum risks for the airplane structural integrity. Herein is analyzed and discussed the possible application of pervious concrete for such a task by simulating an actual situation (Congonhas airport) and understanding the structural effects on the crushable concrete surface layer, pointing out stresses, deflections and required strengths for the material. Simulations regarded the critical aircraft A 320-200 as well as fire-fighters cars over the pavements. Analysis complied to Federal Aviation Administration requirements for non-standard pavement structures as well simulation of stresses trough the finite element method for medium-thickened plates. Compressive stresses along with flexural excessive stresses, besides predictable punching shear stresses allowed to conclude by the feasibility of using low strength pervious concrete as alternative for engineered material to be built as arresting system.