EVALUATION OF AIRFIELD PAVEMENT CONDITION AND DETERMINATION OF REHABILITATION NEEDS

This paper presents a comprehenisve procedure for the evaluation of the condition of an airfield pavement and the determination of its maintenance and rehabilitation needs. The overall procedure consists of three steps: The first is the determination of the airfield-pavement-condition rating based on a pavement-condition index. This index is a score between 0 and 100 that describes the structural integrity of the pavement and its surface operational condition and is based on measured types, severities, and amounts of distress. The index, and hence the pavement-condition rating (i.e., excellent, very good, good, fair, poor, very poor, or failed), agrees closely with the collective judgment of experienced pavement engineers and is strongly correlated to the need of the pavement for maintenance and rehabilitation. The second step is the evaluation of the pavement through a stepwise procedure. The purpose of the evaluation is to provide the necessary background for a rational determination of feasible maintenance and rehabilitation alternatives. The stepwise evaluation procedure depends largely on the pavement-condition-index and distress data but other direct measurements, such as profile roughness, hydroplaning potential, and load-carrying capacity, are also included. The third step is the determination of the optimum maintenance and rehabilitation alternative. Feasible alternatives are determined through the use of guidelines that are based on the results of the stepwise evaluation and include recommended methods for the localized repair of different types of distress at different levels of severity. After the feasible alternatives are identified, an economic analysis is performed. The optimum alternative is selected based on the results of the economic analysis, the mission of the pavement, and the policies of the airfield management. The procedure is illustrated by an example. /Author/