Modeling the Structural Behavior and Evaluating the Performance of Pavement Layers for Lattakia Airport Using the Finite Element Method

Abstract

The problems associated with flexible pavement deformation have been incompletely resolved for decades due to the difficulty of linking the properties of the pavement materials and pavement thicknesses, as well as the interrelationship between the various layers comprising them, particularly using traditional relationships and methods. However, over the past decades, mathematical methods, most notably the finite element method.

In this study, the pavement layers at Lattakia Airport were modeled and analyzed using Plaxis 2D software to investigate the impact of the large wheel loads generated by heavy aircraft wheels and the effects resulting from repeated application through the response and interaction of the pavement layers.

 The results of modeling the flexible pavement layers on the eastern runway of Lattakia International Airport showed that they failed to receive modern aircraft such as the design aircraft B:747-400 due to the unacceptable value of the resulting subsidence 6.11 mm. Therefore, a new model was proposed with reinforcing the pavement layers with geogrid which reduces the subsidence in the pavement layers to 3.4 mm, reduces the stress affecting the pavement layers.