The influence on the durability of semi-flexible airport pavement materials to cyclic wheel load test

•We tested the mechanical properties of semi-flexible pavement material.•We carried out the cyclic wheel load test on the semi-flexible pavement material.•The asphalt mixture void content for airport pavement engineering has been studied.•Relationship between loading times and damage variable has been established.

In order to find out the influence degree of maternal asphalt mixture void content, the cement slurry water–cement ratio, base layer material and base layer thickness to the durability of cyclic wheel load, the cyclic wheel load test has been conducted with the runway test bench by using 8 groups of semi-flexible pavement (SFP) specimens (300 mm × 300 mm × 50 mm). The mechanical properties of different maternal asphalt mixture void content (20%, 23%, 26% and 30%) specimens have been tested. Meanwhile, the cyclic wheel load test has been conducted by using 4 groups of SFP specimens with different maternal asphalt mixture void content. According to the Miner cumulative damage theory, the damage variable was adopted and the relationship between loading times and damage variable has been established. The results demonstrate that: the maternal asphalt mixture void content is the most important factor that affects the durability to cyclic wheel load; when the maternal asphalt mixture void content is 26%, the mechanical performance of the semi-flexible material will be superior; the reasonable maternal asphalt mixture void content value for airport pavement engineering should be 26%.