Evaluation of Parameters Affecting Horizontal Stability of Landing Mats.

摘要

The parameters that affect the horizontal stability of airfield surfacing mats were studied by conducting a series of static full-scale buckling tests in the laboratory using various mats and lay patterns. AM2, XM18, and XM19 mats with simulated waterproofing were used in the testing. The mat test sections ranged from one to five panels wide with widths of up to 36 ft. It was found that the most predominant factor affecting the buckling load was the initial eccentricity characteristic of the mat system. Other factors were panel width, mat unit weight, and formation width. The magnitude of locking angle had no effect on the buckling load but did affect the profile of the buckled wave. The existence of resilient filler in the joints of the waterproofing mats reduced the locking angle but did not increase the buckling load. A series of buckling tests of model AM2 mats of various widths were conducted in the laboratory; the mats were obtained from Utah State University. The results enabled the extrapolation of full-scale mat tests from short widths in the laboratory to airfield widths.