The introduction of larger and heavier aircraft with more complex wheel configurations is making the current design methods inadequate for airfield pavements. In addition, airport pavements experience significant wander. However, the effect of wander on airport pavement performance has not been evaluated. In previous studies, the stress interactions between each tire of a triple-dual-tandem (TDT) axle used on B-777 and A380 aircraft cannot be captured using a two-dimensional model. In addition, many of these studies have assumed a linear-elastic material behavior of the pavement layers.
The purpose of this study is to conduct a three-dimensional finite element analysis to quantify and evaluate the effects of wander and aircraft wheel configurations on the mechanical response of the pavement layers. The flexible pavement system that is modeled in this study is comprised of a medium and low strength subgrade. The stress-strain response of the base, subbase, and subgrade layers are simulated using an elasto-plastic model and the asphalt layer is modeled separately as a viscoelastic and elasto-plastic material. The entire pavement system is also modeled as layered linear elastic. The data collected from this study will show how flexible airport pavements are affected when wander is considered. Correlations between deformations from a single wheel and 4- and 6- wheel configurations are also studied.
","abstract_html":"<p>The introduction of larger and heavier aircraft with more complex wheel configurations is making the current design methods inadequate for airfield pavements. In addition, airport pavements experience significant wander. However, the effect of wander on airport pavement performance has not been evaluated. In previous studies, the stress interactions between each tire of a triple-dual-tandem (TDT) axle used on B-777 and A380 aircraft cannot be captured using a two-dimensional model. In addition, many of these studies have assumed a linear-elastic material behavior of the pavement layers.</p> <p>The purpose of this study is to conduct a three-dimensional finite element analysis to quantify and evaluate the effects of wander and aircraft wheel configurations on the mechanical response of the pavement layers. The flexible pavement system that is modeled in this study is comprised of a medium and low strength subgrade. The stress-strain response of the base, subbase, and subgrade layers are simulated using an elasto-plastic model and the asphalt layer is modeled separately as a viscoelastic and elasto-plastic material. The entire pavement system is also modeled as layered linear elastic. The data collected from this study will show how flexible airport pavements are affected when wander is considered. Correlations between deformations from a single wheel and 4- and 6- wheel configurations are also studied.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Johnson, Dona Jacqueline"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.S. in Engineering","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Mechanical Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Sukumaran, Beena"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2008,"date_issued":"2008-12-31T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2008-12-31T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:13:40Z","subjects":["Finite element method; Pavements, Flexible--Live loads","Mechanical Engineering"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/769","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Sukumaran, Beena"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Johnson, Dona Jacqueline"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-03-23T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Mechanical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.S. in Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Finite element method; Pavements, Flexible--Live loads","Mechanical Engineering"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/769"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The introduction of larger and heavier aircraft with more complex wheel configurations is making the current design methods inadequate for airfield pavements. In addition, airport pavements experience significant wander. However, the effect of wander on airport pavement performance has not been evaluated. In previous studies, the stress interactions between each tire of a triple-dual-tandem (TDT) axle used on B-777 and A380 aircraft cannot be captured using a two-dimensional model. In addition, many of these studies have assumed a linear-elastic material behavior of the pavement layers.
The purpose of this study is to conduct a three-dimensional finite element analysis to quantify and evaluate the effects of wander and aircraft wheel configurations on the mechanical response of the pavement layers. The flexible pavement system that is modeled in this study is comprised of a medium and low strength subgrade. The stress-strain response of the base, subbase, and subgrade layers are simulated using an elasto-plastic model and the asphalt layer is modeled separately as a viscoelastic and elasto-plastic material. The entire pavement system is also modeled as layered linear elastic. The data collected from this study will show how flexible airport pavements are affected when wander is considered. Correlations between deformations from a single wheel and 4- and 6- wheel configurations are also studied.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Investigation of the performance of flexible pavement systems under moving loads using finite element analyses"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Sukumaran, Beena"],"dc:creator":["Johnson, Dona Jacqueline"],"dc:date.available":["2016-03-23T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The introduction of larger and heavier aircraft with more complex wheel configurations is making the current design methods inadequate for airfield pavements. In addition, airport pavements experience significant wander. However, the effect of wander on airport pavement performance has not been evaluated. In previous studies, the stress interactions between each tire of a triple-dual-tandem (TDT) axle used on B-777 and A380 aircraft cannot be captured using a two-dimensional model. In addition, many of these studies have assumed a linear-elastic material behavior of the pavement layers.
The purpose of this study is to conduct a three-dimensional finite element analysis to quantify and evaluate the effects of wander and aircraft wheel configurations on the mechanical response of the pavement layers. The flexible pavement system that is modeled in this study is comprised of a medium and low strength subgrade. The stress-strain response of the base, subbase, and subgrade layers are simulated using an elasto-plastic model and the asphalt layer is modeled separately as a viscoelastic and elasto-plastic material. The entire pavement system is also modeled as layered linear elastic. The data collected from this study will show how flexible airport pavements are affected when wander is considered. Correlations between deformations from a single wheel and 4- and 6- wheel configurations are also studied.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/769"],"dc:subject":["Finite element method; Pavements, Flexible--Live loads","Mechanical Engineering"],"dc:title":["Investigation of the performance of flexible pavement systems under moving loads using finite element analyses"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Mechanical Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.S. in Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:13:40Z"}