Numerical Simulation of Precast Concrete Panel for Airfield Pavement

Abstract

Numerical analysis software belong to the main tools for simulating the real behavior of various concrete structures. In comparison with experimental tests, they offer an affordable way to study the mechanical behavior of structures under various conditions. The contribution deals with a precast element of an innovative airfield pavement system which is being developed within an ongoing scientific project. The proposed system consists of a two-layer surface course of the precast concrete panels placed on a two-layer sub-base of fiber reinforced concrete with recycled aggregates. Enormous costs of full-scale experiments force to simulate the behavior of the element in a numerical analysis software using finite element method. The simulation was conducted on a nonlinear model in order to obtain such results which could fully compensate results from experiments. The main objective of the simulation was to design and optimize the reinforcement of the precast element subject to quasi-static loading from airplanes with respect to geometrical imperfections, manufacturing imperfections, tensile stress in reinforcement and crack width. The numerical simulation revealed that the precast element should be heavily reinforced to fulfill all the demands assumed. Using under-reinforced concrete elements would lead to the formation of wide cracks and cracks permanently open