Airport Pavement Management System Research Articles

Airport Pavement Maintenance Decision-Making System with Condition Cases Optimization

The successive growth of the aviation industry has progressively heightened the importance of airport pavement management systems. Existing research has primarily focused on the technological advancements of optimization models, with limited applicability in practice. In this study, we introduce condition cases optimization (CCO) to address these limitations while incorporating multi-facility and multi-year network optimization models. We developed condition index, serviceability level, integrated assessment indices and performance models for decision-making criteria. As a result, a practical decision-making strategy was proposed which can flexibly reflect budget constraints. Sensitivity analysis highlighted the impact of initial budget, maintenance methods, costs, and thresholds on decision outcomes. Using a case study, we validated the effectiveness and practicality of the CCO method as an efficient decision-making tool.

AIRFIELD PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF TECHNICAL AND OPERATING FACILITY

The article explores an overview of APMS to understand its successful implementation. Once an airport pavement has been opened to traffic, proper maintenance and rehabilitation work is essential to maintain the pavement's functionality at a satisfactory level and extend its service life. Maintenance and restoration-reconstruction strategies were tentatively based on the empirical and subjective judgments of airport administration employees. This required a systematic method of performing maintenance and restoration-reconstruction works, i.e. the Airport Pavement Management System (APMS). Some APMS subsystems have been developed through the exchange of ideas, information and resources and are entering practical use. Based on various airport pavement studies, such as surface condition assessment studies, structural evaluations, failure and serviceability predictions, and maintenance and rehabilitation strategies, design, assessment and rehabilitation procedures have been developed that form the subsystems of the complete APMS. The maintenance and recovery subsystem of the airport pavement management system consists of three phases: the inspection and maintenance phase, the reliability evaluation phase, and the recovery optimization phase.

Implementation of the system for maintenance management of road structures at the Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade

At the Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade, the need for the introduction of the Airport Pavement Management System (APMS) has been recognized for a long time, which would improve the existing procedures and enable the most optimal use of funds intended for maintenance. In 2019, testing and configuration of such a system began. The paper presents the characteristics of the system itself and the challenges that arose during implementation.

Preliminary evaluation of the ACR-PCR system for reporting the bearing capacity of flexible airfield pavements

Assessing and reporting the bearing capacity of airfield pavements have always been significant tasks in airport engineering, since they support the decision making procedure, which is a core element of Airport Pavement Management Systems (APMS). The official reporting system utilized worldwide during the last four decades is the Aircraft Classification Number – Pavement Classification Number (ACN-PCN) system. However, recently an updated system has been introduced, aiming to overcome the defects of the ACN-PCN system that have been observed during its implementation. This system, referred as the Aircraft Classification Rating – Pavement Classification Rating (ACR-PCR), aims to incorporate the latest advances in airfield pavement design and evaluation and is expected to be fully applicable about 2024. Since this is a transfer period, the current investigation aims to identify any critical aspects arising from the application of the updated system, based on recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airfield pavement evaluation techniques. On this basis, the transferability between the two system is examined, providing useful commentary and remarks for airport authorities, who would like to implement the ACR-PCR method to its full extent. The analysis shows that the transferability between the two systems seems not to be feasible and the implementation of the updated ACR-PCR may present several issues, such as the modification of the existing reported bearing capacity.

A Comparative Study of Probabilistic and Deterministic Methods for the Direct and Indirect Costs in Life-Cycle Cost Analysis for Airport Pavements

Airports play a critical role in transporting goods and passengers and supporting the growth of the world economy. Airports spend huge sums annually to maintain and improve pavement functions by expanding the runways, taxiways, and aprons, and perform routine maintenance and rehabilitation of the existing pavements. Besides the traditional direct costs, a comprehensive airport pavement management system should also consider indirect costs such as fuel, crew, passenger delay, aircraft maintenance, and loss of airport revenue when conducting a life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Engineers, managers, and stakeholders can make better decisions on the appropriate pavement maintenance and rehabilitation strategies by performing economic analyses of the direct and indirect costs. This study performed probabilistic and deterministic LCCA to contrast the effect of direct costs vis-a-vis indirect costs in airport pavement management. A case study found that indirect costs could contribute up to 20% of the total costs when using Portland cement concrete (PCC), hot mixed asphalt (HMA), and crack seat overlay (CSOL). Previous research did not give much attention to maintenance since the researchers believed that routine maintenance makes up only an insignificant percentage of the LCCA. However, routine maintenance of HMA and CSOL makes up 10.2% and 14.2% of the total cost. The rehabilitation cost of PCC makes up 16.3% of the total cost, and the rehabilitation cost for HMA and CSOL makes up 25.4% and 35.2% of the total cost.

Perspective of Life-Cycle Cost Analysis and Risk Assessment for Airport Pavement in Delaying Preventive Maintenance

Airport pavements deteriorate with age due to the impacts of environmental factors and air traffic. There is a dearth of studies on the scheduling of airport pavement maintenance and the importance of assessing the different scheduling strategies using Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA). An analysis of the cost–benefit study of a delay in maintenance alternatives should be done to determine whether a one-year delay is beneficial. This study concerns airport pavement management systems and the significance of a delay in several maintenance and preservation strategies depending on the analysis of inputs and outputs based on data from the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan airport in Jefferson County, United States. Herein, four preventive maintenance strategies were reviewed: three of the strategies involve crack treatment, namely crack sealing, patching, and a slurry seal, while the review of surface treatment only looks at the overlay method, which is done based on two Pavement Condition Indices (PCI 90 and PCI 80), and the resulting improvement in service life. The novel integrated LCCA + LCA program, namely PAVECO, is introduced in this research to compare alternatives from perspectives that are not purely economic, by considering direct costs, indirect costs, and salvage values. Results show that a one-year delay in preventive maintenance increases the deterministic life cycle cost by 16%. Based on the sensitivity analysis of the discount rate, the total cost shows more than a 10% decrease as the discount rate increased by 1%. Additionally, the uncertainty in PCI 80 is higher than that in PCI 90. The probabilistic model provides stakeholders with the opportunity to consider the alternative which is most suited to the allocated budget. It can be concluded that, based on the simulation of the effects of maintenance activities during the pavement life-cycle, preventive maintenance should start when the roads are in good condition to prompt managers and stakeholders to analyze the costs during the life-cycle. Postponing the preventive maintenance of airport pavement could raise the cost by 50%. The maintenance of airport pavements in developing countries is still one of the main challenges of pavement management due to the maintenance only being done when it is necessary.

Technical Proposal for Monitoring Thermal and Mechanical Stresses of a Runway Pavement

Airport pavements should ensure regular and safe movements during their service life; the management body has to monitor the functional and structural characteristics, and schedule maintenance work, balancing the often conflicting goals of safety, economic and technical issues. This paper presents a remote monitoring system to evaluate the structural performance of a runway composed of concrete thresholds and a flexible central runway. Thermometers, strain gauges, and pressure cells will be embedded at different depths to continuously monitor the pavement’s response to traffic and environmental loads. An innovative system allows data acquisition and processing with specific calculation models, in order to inform the infrastructure manager, in real time, about the actual conditions of the pavement. In this way, the authors aim to develop a system that provides useful information for the correct implementation of an airport pavement management system (APMS) based on real-life data. Indeed, it permits comprehensive monitoring functions to be performed, based on the embedded sensing network.

Monitor Activity for the Implementation of a Pavement—Management System at Cagliari Airport

The conditions of airport movement-area pavements play a primary role on safety and regularity of airport operations; for this reason, the aerodrome operator needs to periodically survey their condition and provide their maintenance and rehabilitation in order to ensure the required operational characteristics. To meet these needs efficiently and effectively, the Airport Pavement-Management System (APMS) has proved to be a strategic tool to support decisions, aimed at defining a technically and economically sustainable management plan. This paper aims to investigate the theoretical elements and structure of the APMS; the appropriate methodologies to guarantee a constant updating of the system in all its aspects are presented, focusing on the specific case study of a medium-dimension Italian airport. The article describes the methods and the equipment used for the high-performance surveys and the condition indexes used for collecting and analyzing the data implemented to populate the APMS of Cagliari airport. Two major survey campaigns were carried out: the first in 2016 and the second in 2019. Both surveys were carried out using the same subdivision into sample units, following the ASTM D5340-12 criteria, to correctly compare data collected in different years. In order to sufficiently populate the APMS database, the measured and back-calculated data were stored and integrated using daily acquired pavement reports since 2009 and stored with the specific intention to develop customized decay curves for Cagliari Airport pavements. Preliminary results on the sustainable use of the APMS were reported even with data collected in a limited period and successfully applied to runway flexible pavement.

A method for calculating and evaluating user costs in airport pavement management systems

An efficient airport pavement management system is essential to judge current runway conditions and predict future runway conditions and support decisions. However, one of the limitations is insufficient scope for analysis of the infrastructure environment, particularly regarding loss of revenue due to the need for total or partial closure of the runway in life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) approaches. In this article, a method is presented for calculating indirect/user costs based on the net present value related to closed runway time in the cash flow variable. This method integrates passenger demand forecasts based on machine learning and the net operating revenue of an airport. Relying on a case study of Brasília International Airport, the consideration of a variable called the ‘equivalent operational susceptibility area’ improved understanding of the financial impacts on indirect/user costs and direct/owner costs. This variable enabled visualisation of the conditions for the financial feasibility of pavement intervention scenarios. The proposed method uses the required time of runway closure and the area to be maintained as balance weights between the direct and indirect costs of LCCA. Therefore, it is not reasonable to relegate indirect/user costs to estimated values or aircraft and passenger movement fees.

A prediction model of the coefficient of friction for runway using artificial neural network

Runway surface conditions are fundamental to ensure safety during landing and takeoff operations of aircrafts. In this manner, airport operators are required to monitor the coefficient of friction and macrotexture of runways to maintain its safety and plan maintenance and rehabilitation strategies when appropriate, since both these parameters get deteriorated with time. Thus, to assist aerodrome operators and regulatory agencies in the decision-making process for conservation and monitoring of airfield pavements, this study aimed to develop a prediction model for runway friction using Artificial Neural Network. Our results were satisfactory and may contribute to the decision-making process in the context of the Airport Pavement Management System.

Testing Sentinel-1 SAR Interferometry Data for Airport Runway Monitoring: A Geostatistical Analysis.

Multi-Temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MT-InSAR) techniques are gaining momentum in the assessment and health monitoring of infrastructure assets. Amongst others, the Persistent Scatterers Interferometry (PSI) technique has proven to be viable for the long-term evaluation of ground scatterers. However, its effectiveness as a routine tool for certain critical application areas, such as the assessment of millimetre-scale differential displacements in airport runways, is still debated. This research aims to demonstrate the viability of using medium-resolution Copernicus ESA Sentinel-1A (C-Band) SAR products and their contribution to improve current maintenance strategies in case of localised foundation settlements in airport runways. To this purpose, “Runway n.3” of the “Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport” in Fiumicino, Rome, Italy was investigated as an explanatory case study, in view of historical geotechnical settlements affecting the runway area. In this context, a geostatistical study is developed for the exploratory spatial data analysis and the interpolation of the Sentinel-1A SAR data. The geostatistical analysis provided ample information on the spatial continuity of the Sentinel 1 data in comparison with the high-resolution COSMO-SkyMed data and the ground-based topographic levelling data. Furthermore, a comparison between the PSI outcomes from the Sentinel-1A SAR data—interpolated through Ordinary Kriging—and the ground-truth topographic levelling data demonstrated the high accuracy of the Sentinel 1 data. This is proven by the high values of the correlation coefficient (r = 0.94), the multiple R-squared coefficient (R2 = 0.88) and the Slope value (0.96). The results of this study clearly support the effectiveness of using Sentinel-1A SAR data as a continuous and long-term routine monitoring tool for millimetre-scale displacements in airport runways, paving the way for the development of more efficient and sustainable maintenance strategies for inclusion in next generation Airport Pavement Management Systems (APMSs).

A Machine Learning Approach to Determine Airport Asphalt Concrete Layer Moduli Using Heavy Weight Deflectometer Data

An integrated approach based on machine learning and data augmentation techniques has been developed in order to predict the stiffness modulus of the asphalt concrete layer of an airport runway, from data acquired with a heavy weight deflectometer (HWD). The predictive model relies on a shallow neural network (SNN) trained with the results of a backcalculation, by means of a data augmentation method and can produce estimations of the stiffness modulus even at runway points not yet sampled. The Bayesian regularization algorithm was used for training of the feedforward backpropagation SNN, and a k-fold cross-validation procedure was implemented for a fair performance evaluation. The testing phase result concerning the stiffness modulus prediction was characterized by a coefficient of correlation equal to 0.9864 demonstrating that the proposed neural approach is fully reliable for performance evaluation of airfield pavements or any other paved area. Such a performance prediction model can play a crucial role in airport pavement management systems (APMS), allowing the maintenance budget to be optimized.

Analysis of an Airport Pavement Management System during the Implementation Phase

The study analyzes an airport pavement management system (APMS) during the implementation phase. After a report on the characteristic of an APMS and a literature review on its application all over the world, the research work focuses on a case of study related to one of the most relevant airports in Southern Italy. To define a maintenance program, the evaluation of data available relating to inventory data, pavement condition and performance curves is the essential prerequisite. The latter concern the identification of critical areas, in order to subsequently define the maintenance alternatives. The obtained findings concern the planning of M&R activities over the years. Depending on pre-established scenarios, the design choices are the result of the most profitable strategy among those technically admissible. The study highlights current limitations of the implemented APMS regarding data available. For this reason, subsequent studies will improve the system through the implementation of traffic and climate conditions data as well as the evaluation of collateral costs. Moreover, it is possible to confirm that the use of an APMS is important from the first phase of implementation, as it allows to simplify and rationalize some processes, even if it is still necessary to implement the database with further data, also to solve the inevitable approximations on the performance curves. Furthermore, the calibration of the latter will improve the maximization of network conditions and the cost / benefit ratio. Anyway, the paper provides useful information to practitioners for future applications, highlighting at the same time the research steps still to be taken to get a more efficient APMS.

An overview of the airport pavement management systems (APMS)

Airport Pavement Management System (APMS) is a useful tool, including a set of procedures for collecting, analyzing, maintaining, and reporting pavement data, thus assisting airports in finding optimum cost-effective treatments to preserve their pavement assets. The paper provides an in-depth overview of the APMS from an extensive literature review with the aim to identify numerous issues within APMS, such as the components, Pavement Condition Indices, software utilization, and the comprehensive implementation process. The methodology adopted for this research is a descriptive-based study approach on the various airport pavement manuals, guidelines and advisory circulars, journal articles, and book publications for the APMS applications. The airport pavement management systems and the case studies in various airports internationally will be included in the review. The study includes various subjects such as major components, benefit and cost approach, management in different levels, software utilization, maintenance, and rehabilitation (M&R) policies in the implementation of the APMS. Additionally, the research examines the pavement performance indicators that are the key elements for evaluating pavement conditions. Besides, the APMS software programs can store historical information, analyze data, develop models, and generate reports for M&R in association with the budget, including estimating future pavement life. The study summarizes the condition data required for the implementation and operation of an APMS, as well as the information generated by the APMS. The review highlights the benefits of an APMS in providing the airport operators and engineers far more informed position for decision-making to forecast future pavement maintenance requirements for an adequate and timely M&R.

Prioritization of pavement restoration and maintenance strategies in airports using APMS technique

The airport networks need large amounts of public funds. In addition, the airport network is supported by one of the main economic activities in modern industrial societies: transfer and movement of goods and passengers. Today, the airports need pavement network management and maintenance alone is no longer of any use. The purpose of this study is to provide a method to prioritize restoration and maintenance strategies in the rigid concrete pavement through implementing the Airport Pavement Management System (APMS) technique. In this paper, the Micro PAVER, which is the most comprehensive software in pavement management, is utilized. Furthermore, the prospects of pavement management on the runway pavement of Imam Khomeini airport were investigated by assessing the status of the airport’s rigid concrete pavement and applying different scenarios and procedures of restoration and maintenance. Ultimately, prioritization strategies of restoration and maintenance on the airport’s rigid concrete pavement are proposed.

Validation of an indirect data collection method to assess airport pavement condition

In this study the authors compare two methods for airport asphalt pavement distress data collection applied on the main runway of Amílcar Cabral international airport, located at Sal Island in Cape Verde. The two methods used for testing were traditional visual inspection (on-foot) and an indirect method using a vehicle equipped with image capture and recording, lasers and geolocation devices (in-vehicle inspection). The aim of this research is to contribute to the validation of the proposed low-cost in-vehicle pavement distress inspection system with semiautomatic data processing in order to be considered in the implementation of the pavement condition assessment component of airport pavement management systems (APMS). This is a particularly important component as from the collected distress data it is possible to assess the condition of the pavements and define intervention strategies. Validation of the indirect data collection method is evaluated by statistical comparison of the collected distress data and pavement condition index (PCI) obtained from both methods. Statistically non-significant differences between the result sets validate the proposed indirect method, however the analysis evidenced two aspects that need improvement in the proposed system, namely the quality of the captured images to identify distresses with lower severity level and inspector training for proper allocation of severity levels during image analysis. This results in significant advantages considering that the total amount of the runway pavement area is inspected. Inspection time is reduced and data collection cost can be reduced. Processing and results visualization on GIS environment allows revaluation of the dataset on the in-vehicle method. Data interpretation and measurements quality control becomes simpler and faster.

An investigation of the airport pavement management system (APMS)

The research aims to discuss and investigate the process of airport pavement management system (APMS). The methodology of the research is based on previous studies that describe the major elements of the APMS to gain more solutions from the previous different case studies. The investigate includes various subjects such as components and cost approach of the APMS. The methodology used in the research is a descriptive method based on previous studies and from different books by using pavement management system (PMS). The study describes the typical distress types of the asphalt-surfaced pavements and the Portland cement concrete pavements of airports. Additionally, the research clarifies the test methods of the airport pavement, such as the ASTM D5340 and ASTM D6433. Research investigates that the software used in the APMS like PAVER and Road-SIT, Airport PMS that are used by the airport agencies to collect information about the situation of the runway pavement. The APMS still needs more research and new studies due to a lack of information and studies in different airports around the world. The airports shall use the service life estimation (SLT) for the pavement in the runways and parking. In recent studies, the method is not used, whereas including a quantitative methodology which demonstrates results to facilitate the clarity of the results to illustrate the advantage of the SLT.

Evaluation of Runway Bearing Capacity using International Roughness Index

In the airport field, to improve the APMS (Airport Pavement Management System), it may be advantageous, in economic terms, to evaluate "Bearing Capacity" using the International Roughness Index (IRI).This paper explores the relationship between the bearing capacity (dynamic modulus - HWD) and the IRI; the study was conducted on the Lamezia Terme Airport (IATA: SUF, ICAO: LICA), located near Lamezia Terme in the Calabria region in southern Italy.Bearing Capacity data (from 2010 to 2014), detected through H.W.D. and data on surface features (in terms of IRI) detected through Laser Profilometer, for the same period, were acquired for the goals of this study.The data were processed using a series of statistical procedures; in particular two models were obtained: Model 1 by MultiVariate Analysis (MVA) and Model 2 using the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique. Comparing the two models, it emerged that Model 2 is better than Model 1 because the total sum of the residual is lower.In summary, through these two models, knowing simply the IRI, it is possible to indirectly evaluate the "Bearing Capacity" in any point of the runway.

I-BIM for existing airport infrastructures

New methods and technologies are changing the sectors of engineering and constructions. International researchers introduce the acronym I-BIM (Infrastructure Building Information Modeling) to point out a management information system of digital processes for infrastructures. In this study is shown the 3D parametric solid model of Lamezia Terme International Civil Airport’s runway located in Southern Italy. The 3D parametric model, including horizontal/vertical profiles and cross sections, was carried out using Autodesk Civil 3D, while the territorial context was recreated in Autodesk Infraworks360. Grip numbers data, collected during surveys from 2004 to 2015, were implemented in the mentioned 3D model. This intelligent 3D model-based process can be used in optimal Airport Pavement Management System (APMS) for planning maintenance operations (BIM seventh dimension) in according to Civil Aviation regulation.

Implementation of a pavement management system for maintenance and rehabilitation of airport surfaces

Airport pavements should satisfy safe and regular aircraft operations; thus, it is necessary to monitor these surfaces and implement expensive maintenance and rehabilitation works. The Airport Pavement Management System (APMS) is an approach to monitor the pavement condition and to determine the priorities for intervention, to plan, and to allocate resources through procedures. The method for monitoring pavement conditions is currently adopted by the airport management company because it is necessary to the airport operability. The study focuses on the paved network of an Italian airport that is composed of a runway, a parallel taxiway and five exit taxiways. Measures of load bearing capacity, transversal and longitudinal evenness, pavement-tire adherence, and pavement distresses were collected and merged to identify the needed maintenance and rehabilitation works. The results revealed the presence of critical sections, where several structural and functional distresses were. The needed structural and functional works involved the greater parts of the runway and the parallel taxiway, and two exit taxiways. Given the high operational impact of the needed works, they were scheduled to be conducted within three phases in order to minimize the impact on the traffic, reducing the closure period to 15 consecutive days. In general, the results summarized approaches typical of different conditions: the article has highlighted that the Pavement Management System (PMS) requires multiple analyses to consider various indices and correctly manage existing pavements having different competences to conduct comprehensive and appropriate analyses.