Behaviour of lightweight geofoam subjected to vertical loads

• Main Author: Lua, Choon Cheng.
• Other Authors: Goh Teck Chee, Anthony
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Civil engineering::Geotechnical
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/39562
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Runway is an essential component of all airfields. In times of hostilities, the tendency of damage to the runway is often high as the main objective of hostile parties is to ensure that the airfield is no longer usable. Commonly used rapid runway repair methods include filling crater with cementatious grout and bolting on a metal plate over the repaired section. Disadvantages of such methods include the slow gain in strength by the concrete grout and the unevenness in repaired section. For this report, the feasibility of using geofoam as a substitute material for runway repair will be determined using the finite element program, PLAXIS. Geofoam is an ideal material due to it is low density and low modulus of elasticity. It is also available in prefabricated blocks hence the ease of storage and transportation unlike cementatious grout, which requires preparation and setting time. Parametric studies were carried out to simulate the replacement of the damaged crater with geofoam. The stresses and settlements were found to be within the acceptable range.