REVIEW OF THE FATIGUE MODELS FOR CONCRETE AIRFIELD PAVEMENT DESIGN. IN: AIRFIELD PAVEMENTS. CHALLENGES AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES

The purpose of this paper is to present a summary of the characteristics of some of the common fatigue models used in concrete airfield pavement design. Most concrete airfield pavement design procedures are based on developing sufficient slab thickness to resist fatigue cracking, that is, structural cracking caused by repeated load applications at stress levels less than the ultimate static strength of the concrete. At the heart of these design procedures is a concrete fatigue model, which relates slab stress conditions to the allowable number of load repetitions to a pre-defined "failure" level. The background and basis for the development of each model are described, highlighting some of the assumptions and limitations inherent in their development.