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A semi-analytical solution for transient dynamic impact responses of airport runway pavements with HWD interpretation
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DOI：10.1016/j.compgeo.2026.108084.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Heavy weight deflectometer (HWD) testing is widely used to evaluate airport runway pavements, yet the interpretation of measured responses remains largely empirical due to the complex transient dynamics induced by impact loading. This study presents a robust semi-analytical solution for the transient dynamic responses of airport runway pavements subjected to HWD-type half-sine impact loading. The pavement system is modeled as an elastic concrete plate resting on a three-layer elastic soil medium, allowing the coupled plate bending and layered-wave propagation effects to be rigorously captured. The impact load is represented by a finite-duration half-sine pressure uniformly distributed over a circular contact area, preserving the broadband characteristics of HWD excitation. The layered foundation response is formulated in the wavenumber-frequency domain using the transmission-reflection matrix method, and displacement compatibility at the plate-foundation interface is enforced to derive closed-form spectral expressions for plate deflection and interfacial stresses. Complete time-domain responses are recovered through a numerically stable inverse transform scheme incorporating segmented Gauss-Legendre quadrature and high-frequency regularization. The proposed solution is validated against published analytical and numerical benchmarks, including elastic half-space, plate-layered foundation and deflectometer response models. Parametric studies quantify the influences of plate thickness and base-layer stiffness and thickness on transient deflection histories, deflection basins, and internal stress distributions. The results provide a rigorous theoretical benchmark for interpreting HWD measurements and offer mechanistic insight into impact-induced load transfer and dynamic amplification in rigid airport pavements.
Keywords:
Heavy weight deflectometer
Transient dynamic response
Airport runway pavement
Semi-analytical solution
Impact loading
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