A Review of PCN Determination of Airport Pavements Using FWD/HWD Test

Abstract

Airport pavements are widely constructed as airport runways, taxiways, and aprons. The airport traffic should be considered during the design stage of airport pavements before the construction. To protect airport pavements from negligent overload, a pavement strength rating system and an aircraft load classification system are adopted. Under the rating systems developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Aircraft Classification Number (ACN) and Pavement Classification Number (PCN) are calculated to assess the aircraft loads and the load-carrying capacity of the airport pavements for unrestricted operations. With the increase in the air transport demand, increasing attention on the continuous evaluation of airport pavement conditions is introduced to airports across the globe. The load-carrying capacity can be evaluated to assess airport pavement conditions by calculating the value of PCN continuously during the service cycle of pavements. The value of PCN can be estimated by testing the response of stationary dynamic loads, adopting a Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) or a Heavy Weight Deflectometer (HWD) device that simulates the stress generated by aircraft movements. By evaluating the PCN continuously in Airport Pavement Management System (APMS), cyclic determinations of the load-carrying capacity can be conducted to support the maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) decision-makers. This review summarizes the methodology for determining the PCN and the tests conducted for evaluating the strength of airport pavement presented in the published literature. Further, the review highlights the benefits of determining PCNs by adopting the FWD or HWD field data with more precise results through mechanistic procedures.