The three-dimensional aircraft-runway coupled vibration response based on double-layer plate for semi-rigid base

As global aviation expands, airport infrastructure faces growing pressure to accommodate larger and heavier aircraft. A key challenge is managing the vibration interaction between aircraft and runway during takeoff, taxiing, and landing, which affects runway durability and aircraft safety. While most research focuses on the surface layer, the role of the semi-rigid base, commonly used in China, is often overlooked. This study addresses this by analyzing the semi-rigid base’s role in three-dimensional aircraft-runway coupled vibrations. Taking into account the semi-rigid base layer and the subgrade shear stiffness, the study establishes a three-dimensional aircraft-pavement coupled model, using the measured roughness data from Shanghai Pudong International Airport as model input. The new explicit integration method is employed to solve the model. The study examines how structural parameters influence dynamic responses like load factors, strain, and displacement. Numerical simulations reveal that the support function of the semi-rigid base and the shear stiffness of the subgrade play a crucial role in improving runway stiffness and performance. The impact of aircraft taxiing speed is also significant. Specifically, increasing the base layer modulus from 1.50 GPa to 2.50 GPa results in a significant strain reduction (from 16.5 με to 12.8 με), and increasing the base thickness reduces strain by up to 17.8%. Moreover, enhancing the subgrade shear stiffness leads to improved resistance to deformation, further reducing strain and displacement. Additionally, as taxiing speed increases, the mean dynamic load coefficient decreases due to the lift generated by the aircraft, while strain fluctuations in the pavement increase. However, changes in pavement structure have minimal impact on aircraft center-of-gravity acceleration. This research provides critical insights for optimizing aircraft and runway design, enhancing safety, and extending runway lifespan through a coordinated focus on the surface layer, semi-rigid base layer, and subgrade with shear stiffness.