Work

Can the Subsidence of High-Fill Airports Be Avoided Using Engineering Approaches? A National-Scale SBAS-InSAR-Based Examination in China

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: With the rapid expansion of airport construction projects in China, high-fill airports are frequently built under complex geological conditions, where the high risk of surface stability may significantly affect flight safety and operational costs. In this study, 17 high-fill airports and 11 non-high-fill airports across China, all characterized by high subsidence risks, were selected to investigate vertical ground deformation. Utilizing multi-temporal Sentinel-1A radar imagery spanning from 2017 to 2024, Small Baseline Subset InSAR (SBAS-InSAR) was employed to retrieve the annual average deformation velocities and time-series cumulative displacements. The results revealed that among the selected sites, only 25% were relatively stable, while the others exhibited significant deformation characteristics. Notably, high-fill airports demonstrated greater deformation magnitudes compared to those in plain areas, especially in the area of prevalent slope subsidence. In addition, significantly positive correlation was found between fill height and deformation magnitude, while differential settlement was widespread in runway zones. Furthermore, foundations involving special ground conditions manifested continuedly and distinct deformation patterns despite ground treatments. This study demonstrates the limitations of current engineering approaches in completely eliminating airport deformation, and offers valuable insights for the site selection, engineering design, and maintenance of high-fill airports.

Source: Remote Sensing

DOI: 10.3390/rs18040661

Authors: Meixuan Lan, Qiong Wu, Jun Wang, Liwei Gong, Na Ta, Kuiwen Wang

Institutions: Jilin University, Wuhan University

Language: English

Topic: Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Applications and Techniques

Subfield: Aerospace Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,258