Structural Aspects of Airfield Runways with Concrete Pavements

Abstract

The increasing weight of aircraft enforces engineering enforced runways. As a result, the volumes of concrete and steel built into runways are currently very large. Reduced consumption of such materials allows for application of improved concrete and abrasive prestressed slab pavements, which are much thinner than other concrete slabs. For the purpose of the study, solutions for the new runway have been analysed in two structural variants, namely runway of prestressed concrete, and dowelled concrete runway at the Katowice-Pyrzowice airport. Forces in bottom fibres have been defined based on Westergaard method, while for slab corners, extended force interdependencies have been applied according to Pickett. Fundamental benefits from constructing abrasive concrete runway surfaces in prestressed technology, as compared to dowelled structure, include: possibility of reducing thickness of the bearing system by about half, greater runway resistance to overload and cracking, better durability of the pavement.