Enhancing airport pavement performance using finite element method, Case study of Al-Najaf International airport runway

Using traditional analytical methods, many structural problems are expensive and time-consuming to solve. Numerical techniques such as finite element analysis (EFA) are frequently used to handle this complexity and produce more realistic results. Provides advanced capabilities for modeling and investigating the structural behavior, popular, Finite Element Software such as ABAQUS can be used to analyze the performance and overall behavior of various materials including runway pavement. To achieve the study target, one of the most important airports (Al-Najaf International Airport in Iraq) was selected as a case study. Five major parameters considered in the experimental program were: the existence of different holes within the subgrade layer, the saturation state, the strengthening or repairing of the hole using injection concrete, replacing the asphalt layer, and mixing the subbase with cement. Eleven specimens were fabricated as runway pavement with different conditions and one specimen as (a reference pavement). The ten specimens were tested under repeated impact load loads using FEA analysis. The specimen’s dimensions were modeled are (2x1.5x2) m. It was concluded that, the presence of holes in the subgrade of runway pavement systems leads to significant increases in deformation from approximately (1) mm to (33) mm across all layers of the structure. Larger-shaped holes may lead to more pronounced stress concentrations and deformation compared to smaller-shaped holes. Lower saturation levels generally result in a greater reduction in deflection across all layers of the pavement structure. Injecting concrete into the hole effectively mitigated deflection across all layers of the pavement structure with a reduction in deflection of (62%) for the surface of asphalt and with particularly noteworthy reductions observed in the bottom subbase layer. The use of (CTBC) to replace the subbase of the pavement specimen led to substantial reductions in deflection of (68%-81%) across all pavement structure layers.