Ultra-high performance concrete with high strength, workability, loading durability and low curing maintenance for applications in airport pavement

Abstract

With the rapid development of the aviation industry, airport pavement is subjected to ever-increasing loads, posing urgent and higher demands on the mechanical performance and durability of pavement materials. This study develops a novel Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) with outstanding mechanical properties, good workability, low curing maintenance, and excellent performance in sustaining long-term load to specially designed for its potential application in airport pavement. The as-developed UHPC contains a mixed portion of fine and coarse aggregate, assuring its workability and avoiding the early-age shrinkage crack for the potential on-site construction. With a 7-day compressive strength of 140 MPa, compressive strength of 155.1 MPa, flexural strength of 25.4 MPa at 28 days, and a wear loss per unit area of 0.043 kg/m2, the mechanical properties of UHPC well outperform those of conventional C30 airport pavement concrete. Finite element simulation analysis reveals that a 10 cm thick UHPC surface layer demonstrates durability and safety under aircraft taxiing and landing impact loads, with a maximum tensile stress of 4.12 MPa well below its tensile strength limit of 8.75 MPa. Furthermore, it is predicted that a 10 cm thick UHPC overlay could support a load cycle lifespan 1014 times longer than that of conventional C30 concrete of 30 cm thickness, indicating its potential to significantly extend the service life of airport pavement. This research provides a theoretical basis for the applications of UHPC in airport pavement and presents innovative perspectives on into material and structural design of airport pavement materials for the future.

Keywords

• Airport pavement
• UHPC
• Mechanical properties
• Finite element simulation
• Fatigue life