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Civil-Comp Proceedings
ISSN 1759-3433
CCP: 58
COMPUTER TECHNIQUES FOR CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Edited by: B.H.V. Topping and B. Kumar
Paper VIII.2

The Effect on the Fatigue Life of an Airfield Runway When a Large Void beneath a Runway is Left Unfilled, or is Filled

J.W. Bull* and C.H. Woodford+

*Department of Civil Engineering
+Computing Service, The University, Newcastle upon Type, England

Full Bibliographic Reference for this paper
J.W. Bull, C.H. Woodford, "The Effect on the Fatigue Life of an Airfield Runway When a Large Void beneath a Runway is Left Unfilled, or is Filled", in B.H.V. Topping, B. Kumar, (Editors), "Computer Techniques for Civil and Structural Engineering", Civil-Comp Press, Edinburgh, UK, pp 165-174, 1999. doi:10.4203/ccp.58.8.2
Abstract
In this paper we assume an explosive is detonated under a runway such that a large void, a camouflet, is formed. We consider the effects of an aircraft wheel loading moving along the length of the runway that overlays the void and determine the displacement of the runway surface both with the void and with the void filled with polystyrene. We also consider the effects of the resulting subgrade stresses on the runway's fatigue life. We found that filling the void made little difference to the displacement or to the fatigue life of the runway and the subgrade and for certain material sets, the fatigue life of the apparently undisturbed subgrade could be significantly reduced. Once a camouflet has been identified, it should be dug out and refilled.

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