Modified Light Duty AM2 Capability Assessment
Abstract
The Modified Light-Duty AM2 matting was designed specifically for lightweight, remote-piloted aircraft (RPA) applications. An in-depth study was conducted previously by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) to characterize and model the mechanical performance of friction stir welding for use in fabrication of the lightweight RPA matting in conjunction with a full-scale test on the Modified Light-Duty AM2 matting system. The study validated the mattings performance when subjected to simulated RPA and support vehicle traffic over a subgrade with a California Bearing Ratio (CBR) of 6. To understand the full potential of the Modified Light-Duty AM2, a full-scale evaluation was performed with contingency C-17 and standard (below maximum) F-15E aircraft loads over a subgrade with a CBR of 6. The test results revealed that the connection between the mat core and the end connector is not strong enough to support loads heavier than RPA traffic. The overlap/underlap end connectors effectively sheared off from the mat core for both test vehicles. Even so, the mat cores showed minimal structural damage from the applied traffic.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 22, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1054517
Entities
People
- Lyan Garcia
- Nolan R. Hoffman
Organizations
- Engineer Research and Development Center