Pre-Cast Concrete Panels for Contingency Rigid Airfield Pavement Damage Repairs

Abstract

Abstract : Significant number of airfield pavements are constructed with Portland Cement Concrete (PCC). Effectively restoring damaged PCC sections in military airfields requires a well-formulated repair plan. This study investigates the feasibility and efficiency of using different precast concrete panel installation techniques for contingency repair of damaged airfield pavements. High-density polyurethane (HDP) foam and flowable fill were selected as bedding and leveling materials after literature review. Deep injection using HDP foam as well as conventional leveling using cement mortar were investigated to determine the impact of leveling techniques on repair performance. Performance of the repaired sections was characterized by load transfer efficiency, joint stiffness and deformation energy dissipated through the pavement foundation. A heavy weight deflectometer (HWD) along with an F-15 gear simulator was used to determine the stiffness properties and accumulation of plastic deformations after each load interval during performance testing. Decay of joint stiffness and load transfer efficiency, as well as increase in deformation energy, were calculated as a function of number of load applications. The results indicate a significant increase in the deformation energy and considerable loss of joint stiffness with number of load applications when flowable fill was used as leveling material. This study reveals that precast panels installed with HDP foam performed superior compared to precast panels installed with flowable fill. Additionally, precast panels installed using deep injection method performed better in terms of higher load transfer efficiency, higher joint stiffness and lower dissipated deformation energy. This study suggests that precast concrete panels leveled using HDP foam deep injection method outperformed other investigated permutations.