As a commonly used surface structure for airport runways, concrete slabs are subjected to various complex and random loads for a long time, and it is necessary to investigate their fracture performance at different strain rates. In this study, three-point bending fracture tests were conducted using ordinary performance concrete (OPC) and basalt fiber-reinforced airport pavement concrete (BFAPC) with fiber volume contents of 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6%, at five strain rates (10⁻⁶ s⁻¹, 10⁻⁵ s⁻¹, 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹, 10⁻³ s⁻¹, and 10⁻² s⁻¹). Considering parameters such as the peak load, initial cracking load, double K fracture toughness, fracture energy, and critical crack expansion rate, the effects of the fiber volume content and strain rate on the fracture performance of concrete were systematically studied. The results indicate that these fracture parameters of OPC and BFAPC have an obvious strain rate dependence; in particular, the strain rate has a positive linear relationship with peak load and fracture energy, and a positive exponential relationship with the critical crack growth rate. Compared with OPC, the addition of basalt fiber (BF) can improve the fracture performance of airport pavement concrete, to a certain extent, where 0.4% and 0.6% fiber content were the most effective in enhancing the fracture properties of concrete under strain rates of 10⁻⁶–10⁻⁵ s⁻¹ and 10⁻⁴–10⁻² s⁻¹, respectively. From the point of view of the critical crack growth rate, it is shown that the addition of BF can inhibit the crack growth of concrete. In this study, the fracture properties of BFAPC were evaluated at different strain rates, providing an important basis for the application of BFAPC in airport pavement.

Polyoxymethylene (POM) fiber is a new polymer fiber with the potential to improve the performance of airport pavement concrete. The effect of POM fiber on the flexural fatigue properties of concrete is an important issue in its application for airport pavement concrete. In this study, four-point flexural fatigue experiments were conducted using ordinary performance concrete (OPC) and POM fiber airport pavement concrete (PFAPC) with fiber volume contents of 0.6% and 1.2%, at four stress levels, to examine the flexural fatigue characteristics of these materials. A two-parameter Weibull distribution test of flexural fatigue life was performed, after examining the change in flexural fatigue deformation using the cycle ratio (n/N). A flexural fatigue life equation was then constructed considering various failure probabilities (survival rate). The results show that POM fiber had no discernible impact on the static load strength of airport pavement concrete, and the difference between PFAPC and OPC in terms of static load strength was less than 5%. POM fiber can substantially increase the flexural fatigue deformation capacity of airport pavement concrete by almost 100%, but POM fiber had a different degree of detrimental impact on the fatigue life of airport pavement concrete compared to OPC, with a maximum decrease of 85%. The fatigue lives of OPC and PFAPC adhered to the two-parameter Weibull distribution, the single- and double-log fatigue equations considering various failure probabilities had a high fitting degree based on the two-parameter Weibull distribution, and their R² was essentially over 0.90. The ultimate fatigue strength of PFAPC was roughly 4% lower than that of OPC. This study on the flexural fatigue properties of POM fiber airport pavement concrete has apparent research value for the extension of POM fiber to the construction of long-life airport pavements.

Waste tires can be ground as crumb rubber (CR) and incorporated into asphalt pavement for efficient resource utilization. However, due to its thermodynamic incompatibility with asphalt, CR cannot be uniformly dispersed in the asphalt mix. In order to address this issue, pretreating the CR with desulfurization is a common way to restore some of the properties of natural rubber. The main technique of desulfurization and degradation is dynamic desulfurization, requiring a high temperature that may lead to asphalt fires, aging, and the volatilization of light substances, generating toxic gases and resulting in environmental pollution. Therefore, a green and low-temperature controlled desulfurization technology is proposed in this study to exploit the maximum potential of CR desulfurization and obtain high-solubility “liquid waste rubber” (LWR) close to the ultimate regeneration level. In this work, LWR-modified asphalt (LRMA) with superior low-temperature performance and processability, stable storage, and less susceptibility to segregation was developed. Nevertheless, its rutting and deformation resistance deteriorated at high temperatures. The results showed that the proposed CR-desulfurization technology could produce LWR with 76.9% solubility at a low temperature of 160 °C, which is close to or even better than the finished products produced at the preparation temperature of TB technology, i.e., 220–280 °C.

The excellent overall performance of polyoxymethylene (POM) fiber enables it to show great potential for engineering applications. The effect of POM fibers on the dynamic compression mechanical properties of concrete is an important issue for its application in engineering structures such as airport pavement and bridges. It is necessary to investigate the dynamic compressive mechanical properties of POM-fiber-reinforced concrete (PFRC) under impact loading. The PFRC specimens with various POM fiber lengths (6, 8, 12, 16, and 24 mm) and ordinary-performance concrete (OPC) specimens were tested by utilizing the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). We studied the effect of fiber length and strain rate on the dynamic compression mechanical properties of PFRC and established a damage dynamic constitutive model for PFRC. The results indicate that the dynamic compressive strength, peak strain, ultimate strain, dynamic peak toughness, dynamic ultimate toughness, and dynamic increase factor (DIF) of the PFRC increased obviously with the increase in strain rate. POM fiber was found to be able to effectively improve the deformation ability and impact toughness of concrete. The dynamic compressive strength and impact toughness of PFRC with a fiber length of 8 mm was optimal at different strain rates. The POM fibers with 16 mm and 24 mm lengths negatively affected the dynamic compressive strength of the concrete. The fiber length variation had an insignificant effect on the DIF of PFRC. The established damage dynamic constitutive model for PFRC was fitted and analyzed, and it was found that the model is able to describe the dynamic characteristics of PFRC well. This study can extend POM fibers to engineering structures that may be subjected to impact loading and act as a reference for the design of PFRC under impact loading.

Recycled crumb rubber (RCR) is considered a reliable asphalt modifier and a solution to the problem of scrap tyre recycling. RCR-modified asphalt (RCRMA) typically has good low-temperature performance and storage stability. However, the pre-treatment of crumb rubber (CR) impairs its physical properties, resulting in poor high-temperature performance, which limits the industrial application of RCRMA. In this study, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) composite RCR was used to modify asphalt, and LDPE/RCR-composite-modified asphalt (L-RCRMA) was produced to compensate for the deficiencies in the high-temperature performance of RCRMA. The comprehensive physical properties of L-RCRMA were elucidated using tests such as the conventional properties, rotational viscosity, and rheological tests. The results showed that the incorporation of LDPE improved the high-temperature stability and rutting resistance of the asphalt, but an excessive amount of LDPE impaired the low-temperature performance and storage stability of L-RCRMA. Therefore, it is necessary to control the amount of LDPE to balance the performance of the asphalt. On this basis, we recommend a dosage of 20% for RCR and 1.5% for LDPE.