Dynamic response of concrete pavements to moving aircraft

Abstract An algorithm is developed to study the transient response of concrete airport pavements resting on viscoelastic foundations and subjected to moving aircraft. Thin plate theory is assumed to model the concrete slab, and no restrictions are placed on the loading conditions. The soil medium supporting the concrete slab is idealized by a Kelvin viscoelastic model consisting of a series of springs and dashpots lumped at the nodes. The weight of the aircraft is lumped on the main landing gear. The landing gear suspension system is idealized by a linear spring-dashpot system. The algorithm presented herein accounts for the dynamic interaction between the moving aircraft and the concrete pavement. A computer program is developed on the basis of the proposed algorithm that can be used to predict dynamic deflections and stresses of concrete airport pavements induced by the general moving mass and the simplified moving force and static loads.