GeoStructures: CKS airport pavement

Case study: SOFO System

Rigid pavement monitoring
Joint monitoring
Developement of models based on measurements

Project Description

Summary: Monitoring of joint movements and thermal stresses with seasonal and daily temperature variation of a rigid pavement of Chiang Kai-Shek airport, Taiwan.

Clients: National Taiwan University

Place: CKS airport, Taipei (Republic of China (Taiwan))

Period: 2002 - N/A

Installation: RouteAero

Structure's short description: Taxiway N1 of Chieng Kai-Shek airport in Taiwan is considered as the primary one, which serves 42% of the departure aircrafts and 18% of the arriving aircrafts, approximate 26000 and 11100 operations annually each. It consists of number of rigid concrete blocks interconnected with joints.

Aim of monitoring: In order to obtain the actual joint movement along with seasonal temperature changes, SOFO sensors were installed in the middle of concrete slabs during the reconstruction process of some slabs at the taxiway N1 in January 2002. Total of seven fifty-centimetres long sensors were embedded during the reconstruction works.

Number of sensor: 7

Main Results: Measurements were carried out continuously since embedding of sensors including the early age. Early age monitoring helped better understanding of behaviour of the young concrete just after the cutting the joint (acceleration of shrinkage). Long-term measurements increased the knowledge concerning the structural behaviour of the joint (max. and min. stressed determined), made possible correlation between temperature changes and strain and served as basis for development of very accurate joint movement prediction models.

Schema of SOFO sensors position in the pavement

Monthly maximum, minimum and average readings of sensor 7 (joint monitoring) with air temperatures

Comparison of predicted and measured joint movements

Maximum, minimum and average concrete slab thermal stresses from February 2002 to January 2003

Bibliography:

Analysis of Concrete Joint Movements and Seasonal Thermal Stresses at the Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport , Chia-pei Chou, Hsiang-Jen Cheng, Shyh-tai Lin, 2004 FAA WORLDWIDE AIRPORT TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CONFERENCE, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, April 2004, P-22, 2004