Analysis of the possibility of using a geogrid to improve load bearing capacity of natural airfield pavements

Abstract

Abstract The article presents an innovative method that was verified in the field. It is aimed to improve the load bearing capacity of airfield pavements, which are one of the elements of the flight safety system. Airfield pavements protect the runway in case when the aircraft is taxiing beyond the runway. Moreover, they are also used to perform starting and landing operations of military aircraft. Due to this, they need to have an adequate load bearing capacity that ensures the safety of performing aircraft flights. Airports cannot afford to be shut down for a long time; thus, it is essential to look for efficient and fast solutions that could improve the load bearing capacity of airfield pavements. The authors suggested to apply geogrid immersed in natural airfield pavement.