The Structural Response of Prefabricated Prestressed Cement Concrete Pavement Structure under Aircraft Wheel Load

Abstract The application of prefabricated prestressed concrete pavement (PPCP) in airport engineering has been constrained by insufficient understanding of its mechanical behavior under complex aircraft loading. In this study, a three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) of a full-scale nine-slab PPCP structure, which incorporates both the grouting layer and slab joints, was established and validated against field-measured deflection data. Based on the verified model, the results obtained under representative aircraft wheel loading conditions indicate that the critical load position was consistently located at the center of the longitudinal joint, and the pavement’s mechanical response was significantly influenced by the wheel loading conditions. For the investigated aircraft loads and wheel configurations, the dual-axle dual-wheel loading reduced the maximum tensile stress at the slab bottom, tensile stress at the grouting-layer bottom, and surface maximum deflection by 64.44%, 33.33%, and 31.61%, respectively. Parametric analysis further demonstrated that enhancing the interlayer shear-transfer coefficient between the grouting layer and the base effectively improves pavement performance, reducing bottom tensile stresses of the slab and grouting layer by 23.13% and 38.28%, respectively. Additionally, lifting and transportation safety were also assessed, and optimized lifting-point arrangements and cushion-block support layouts were proposed. These results provide validated numerical methodology and practical engineering guidance for the application of PPCP in airport pavement construction.