Asphalt overlays have been widely employed in airport runway maintenance in recent years due to their ability to minimize traffic disruption. However, they continue to face the challenge of reflective cracks originating from the expansion joints of the underlying cement concrete runway. To better understand the cracking behavior of asphalt overlays under the combined temperature variations and aircraft loads, this study developed a finite element (FE) model. with the model incorporate two types of landing methods and typical temperature conditions. Simulation results indicate that critical loading positions are located at the edges of original cement concrete slabs, where shear stress is identified as the primary driver of crack evolution, with the peak stress coinciding with the arrival of aircraft load. Furthermore, findings suggest that the use of asphalt overlays significantly reduces the stress intensity in crack-prone areas, particularly under rough landing conditions. Reflective cracks predominantly manifest as type II shear cracks, While aircraft loading and initial crack length exert a relatively limited impact on crack propagation compared to temperature effects, the horizontal location of the initial crack substantially influences both the direction and speed of crack propagation. To mitigate crack propagation, increasing the linear shrinkage coefficient of the overlay material and the thickness of the asphalt overlay are effective strategies for enhancing the cracking resistance of airport runways with asphalt overlays. The methodologies and findings of this study provide valuable insights for engineering practices involving similar structural configurations and materials.

Rubberized asphalt mixture effectively reduces vibrations in railway track due to the elasticity of crumb rubber (CR) and the viscoelasticity of asphalt binder. This study aims to design a rubberized epoxy asphalt mixture using the modified volumetric mix-design method named the multi-point supported skeleton for asphalt mixtures (V-S method). The feasibility and vibration attenuation of the precast epoxy asphalt track was evaluated through a 3D FEM simulation at a 350 km/h speed. By combining the V-S method with the equivalent volume replacement principle between CR and coarse aggregate, four types of rubberized epoxy asphalt mixtures were proposed using the dry method. Indoor test results confirm that these mixtures meet the required specifications. The FEM results demonstrate that the designed epoxy asphalt track meets the design criteria and the components of the EA-4CR track structure demonstrate superior vibration reduction performance among the cases with the same increment in CR content.