Durable concrete pavements: The reconstruction of runway head 36R of Milano Linate International Airport

The design approach adopted to rebuild the damaged plain concrete plates of the runway heads of Linate Airport in Milan by using reinforced concrete (r.c.) plates is presented. After discussing the results of the investigation campaign to define the level of degrading of the existing plates, the basic concepts for the design of durable r.c. paving plates are illustrated. Special attention is devoted to the structural analysis of concrete plates resting on elastic foundation subjected to applied loads and imposed deformations. A finite element model allowed to point out the basic reasons of the degrading of the pre-existing plates and to proceed towards a rational design of the new paving system. A description of the reconstruction phases is finally carried out.