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https://hdl.handle.net/11681/25981| Title: | Engineering tests of modified T12 plastic airplane landing mat |
| Authors: | Green, Hugh L. |
| Keywords: | Landing mats Plastics Trafficability |
| Publisher: | U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station |
| Series/Report no.: | Technical report (U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station);3-820 |
| Abstract: | This report describes an investigation conducted at the U. S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES) for the purpose of evaluating an experimental quantity of commercially fabricated plastic mat designated as Airplane Landing Mat, Plastic, Modified Tl2. The mat is a sandwich structure fabricated from glass-fabric-reinforced honeycomb core material bonded on top and bottom with epoxy adhesive to polyester-resin impregnated, glass-fabric, laminated facings. Glass-fabric-reinforced tongue-and-groove side and end connectors are fabricated as integral parts of the mat panels. Individual panels are secured in the field by use of metal drive rivets. Laboratory and engineering traffic tests were conducted to determine various properties of the mat in an overall evaluation for comparison with the original Tl2 mat and with the project requirements. The service-life criteria under which the mat was tested required 200 coverages of a 25 ,OOO-lb single-wheel load with a tire-inflation pressure of 250 psi when placed on a subgrade with a California Bearing Ratio (CBR) of 4~. This was more critical than the original criteria under which the Tl2 was tested, which specified 700 coverages of a 50,000-lb single-wheel load with tire-inflation pressures up to 200 psi when placed on a 15-CBR subgrade. The results of the laboratory tests indicated that the mat was generally fabricated in accordance with requirements stipulated by the technical specifications, and in most cases exceeded those requirements. The results of the traffic tests indicated that with a 25,000-lb single-wheel load and 250-psi tire pressure and a subgrade strength of 9 CBR, the mat will sustain 10 coverages of traffic. With the tire pressure reduced to 200 psi using the same wheel load, the mat sustained 30 coverages on a 9-CBR subgrade; this failed to meet the service-life criteria. It was calculated that a 30-CBR subgrade would be required to support the mat for 200 coverages of the 25,000-lb single-wheel load with a 250-psi tire pressure. It was concluded that a future plastic landing mat should incorporate improved features to reduce weight, provide a stronger means of connecting individual panels, and improve the core-to-facing bond. However, prior to the procurement of any additional plastic landing mats, it is recommended that a reevaluation of new plastic fabrication techniques and plastics technology be made. Engineering tests then should be conducted on an experimental quantity of an improved plastic mat. |
| Description: | Technical Report |
| Rights: | Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11681/25981 |
| Appears in Collections: | Technical Report |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WES Technical Report No 3-820.pdf | 17.39 MB | Adobe PDF |  View/Open |