Structural Evaluation of Cellular Plastic as a Base Course Material for Expedient Pavements

摘要

The report is a study concerned with the development and structural analysis of a new pavement concept for military expedient pavements. Advanced tactical mobility concepts require a non permanent, quickly constructed and easily repaired airfield pavement system which can successfully withstand a limited number of aircraft coverages. Such pavements are referred to as expedient pavements. The concept presented considers the use of plastics as a construction material for expedient pavements. These all-plastic pavements consist of a thin (0.5-inch) wearing course fabricated from a tough and durable fiberglass reinforced polyester having very high strength properties, and a cellular plastic base course placed directly upon the subgrade. For purposes of the study, rigid polyurethane was used as the base course material simply as a means of providing strength data for the structural analyses. The study demonstrates the feasibility of the concept of an all plastic system for expedient pavements. (Author)