Performance of Constructed Facilities: Pavement Structural Evaluation of William P Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas

  • Kim, Sung-Hee (Division of Engineering Southern Polytechnic State University) ;
  • Jeong, Jin-Hoon (Civil & Environmental Engineering Inha University) ;
  • Kim, Nak-Seok (Dept of Civil & Environmental Engineering Kyonggi University)
  • Published : 2009.02.28

Abstract

The results of a recent case study for material characterizations and structural evaluation to design asphalt overlay thickness of William P Hobby airport in Houston, Texas are presented herein. The existing runway 12R-30L of Hobby airport consisted of thick asphalt overlay over Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) and the localized surface shoving as evident in the closure of surface groove has been observed recently. Using the field cored asphalt concrete mixtures, measurements of percent air voids, asphalt content and aggregate gradation were conducted to find out the causations of surface shoving and groove closure. The FAA layered elastic program, LEDFAA was utilized to evaluate pavement structural conditions for new asphalt overlay. Two different composition assumptions for existing pavement were made to evaluate the pavement as followings: 1) APC, Asphalt Concrete Overlay over PCC pavement and 2) AC, Asphalt Concrete pavement. Based on laboratory testing results, a ratio of percent passing #200 to asphalt content ranged 1.1 to 2.2, which is considered a high ratio and a tendency of tender mix design was observed. Thus, the localized surface shoving and groove closure of the runway 12R-30L could be attributed to the use of excessive fine contents and tender mix design. Based on the structural evaluation results, it was ascertained that the analysis assuming the pavement structure as AC pavement gives more realistic structural life when the asphalt overlay is thicker enough compared to PCC layer because the existing PCC pavement under asphalt overlay acts more like a high quality base material.

본 논문에서는 텍사스 휴스턴에 소재하는 William P Hobby공항의 아스팔트 덧씌우기 포장두께를 설계하기위한 재료 특성화와 구조평가 연구결과에 관한 최근의 사례결과를 나타내고 있다. Hobby 공항의 12R-30L 활주로는 포틀랜드시멘트 콘크리트 포장위에 두꺼운 아스팔트 덧씌우기 층으로 구성되어 있으며 최근 부분적인 표면 밀림 현상이 관측되었다. 아스팔트 혼합물 현장코아 시료를 사용하여 표면 밀림현상 원인을 분석하기 위하여 공기량, 아스팔트 함량 및 골재 입도 분석이 수행되었다. 미연방 항공우주국의 탄성층 해석 프로그램인 LEDFAA가 새로운 아스팔트 덧씌우기층의 포장구조 상태를 평가하기 위하여 사용되었다. 이를 위하여 두 가지의 포장구성 상태가 존재한다고 가정하였다. 즉 PCC 포장위에 아스팔트 콘크리트 덧씌우기층, 그리고 아스팔트 콘크리트 포장. 실험실 시험결과를 근거로 아스팔트 바인더 함유량에 대한 200번째 체 통과 골재비는 $1.1{\sim}2.2$이며 비율이 높을수록 혼합물은 연성을 보이는 것으로 나타났다. 따라서, 12R-30L 활주로의 표면밀림 현상은 과도한 세립골재 함유율로 인한 연성혼합물이 원인인 것으로 나타났다. 구조 평가결과에 의하면 아스팔트 포장으로 포장구조를 가정한 해석 결과는 PCC층에 비하여 좀 더 두꺼운 아스팔트 층일때 더 실질적인 구조적 수명을 나타내었다. 아스팔트층 하부의 PCC포장은 고급기층재료 역할을 수행하기 때문인 것으로 해석된다.

Keywords

References

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