Experimental and numerical study on soft-hard-soft (SHS) cement based composite system under multiple impact loads.

The performance of the newly developed soft-hard-soft (SHS) cement based composite system under multiple impact loading was investigated using a combined numerical and experimental study. Such a composite consists of three layers including Geogrid (GST) reinforced asphalt concrete (AC) on the top, high strength concrete (HSC) layer in the middle, and fiber reinforced cementitious composites (FRCC) at the bottom. A Hard-Soft-Hard (HSH) composite pavement was also proposed and tested for comparison purpose. In addition, the experimental results were compared with standard rigid and flexible pavements. The SHS composite system exhibits minimum damage, higher energy absorption and significant improved impact resistance against multiple impact loading compared with the other three types of pavements. A 3D finite element (FE) model was also established and confirmed the experimental results for the SHS composite pavement. Following the FE model, intensive parametric study was conducted to investigate the factors to enhance the impact resistance of the SHS composite system. The results can guide the upgrade options for runway pavement and be used for further development of the protective composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]