Development of thermo-mechanical modeling for the study of airfield pavement

Abstract

The study of airfield rigid pavement is an arduous task, for they are subjected to a combination of two superimposed phenomena: slow slab deformations and associated stress due to thermal variations and mechanical traffic loading. The French Civil Aviation Technical Center (STAC) has developed a two-step approach which takes into account both components. First, a thermal final element (FE) simulation allows calculating, from temperature field within the slab, the slab deformation and associated contact conditions with the sublayer, as well as the stress field within the slab. A dynamic mechanical modeling is then applied to the deformed slab, considering associated contact conditions. This paper focuses on the thermal FE simulation. Numerical results are presented and compared with field data from the STAC's instrumented test facility (Bonneuil, France) which include temperature probes within the concrete slabs as well as vertical and horizontal displacement sensors which enable to continuously record the slabs corners and mid-edges vertical displacements and the joints expansion/contraction as a function of the mean slab temperature and vertical thermal gradient throughout the slab.