At the “Inter-University R&D Competition on Reaching and Accessible Türkiye 2053” organized by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, the Directorate of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Research Center (DoTMC), our student Uğurcan Demirci, who studies Civil Engineering, was awarded the Second Prize in the Aviation Category.

Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Hamdullah Çuvalcı, who attended the award ceremony of the Inter-University R&D Competition on Reaching and Accessible Türkiye 2053, which prioritizes local, national, and original production, congratulated our student Uğurcan Demirci for his unique scientific contribution to the literature and wished him continued success. Emphasizing the importance of these kind of studies for Türkiye’s vision, he stated, “Thanks to this competition and similar initiatives aimed at mobilizing the original ideas of our young minds, who are the guarantee of our future, the vision of the 'Century of Türkiye' will be shaped by their hands,” and he thanked everyone involved in the process.

The project titled “Design of Prefabricated Airport Runway and Joints,” prepared under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Muhammet Vefa Akpınar, determined that all prefabricated concrete pavement section designs could carry Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) loads. Among these, the prefabricated application with shear reinforcement of 20 cm in length and 2.5 cm in diameter was found to cause the least stress and settlement. In other words, the project demonstrated that in emergencies, alternative runways for out-of-service airports suitable for F-16s and UAVs could be achieved within 30 hours.

The aim of the project is to make the construction of airports for UAVs, F-16 aircraft, and similar light air vehicles possible within a short time of 30 hours, and to determine the most suitable section design that will minimize the expected vertical deformations at the joints of prefabricated superstructure slabs (especially on weak soils) using the finite element method.

Due to their logistical priority, airport runways are always at risk of being bombed in potential attacks against our country, and thus, there is a constant risk of these transportation infrastructures becoming unusable. Under these conditions, the main goal of the project is to enable the construction of airports for UAVs, F-16 aircraft, and similar light air vehicles within a short time of 30 hours using prefabricated concrete slabs with specified strengths, ready-made and stored in existing airports or suitable sites and warehouses. Just as there are no technical specifications for the urgent construction of airport runways in extraordinary situations in Türkiye or the world, this and similar projects will lead to the development of projects in this area.

 

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