Structural Evaluation of Highway and Airport Pavements

Abstract

Road infrastructure is a high-value asset in the development of a modern society where its perceived quality translates into a fundamental role in security, economy, competitiveness and sustainability of the free flow of people and goods. The gradual degradation of that quality through time should be evaluated in such a manner that maintenance and rehabilitation efforts can be timely planned and carried out to maintain its specified minimum quality requirements. In pavement condition assessment, there are several parameters that gauge pavement quality. The Falling Weight Deflectometer (F/HWD) is the leading non-destructive testing equipment used to assess the bearing capacity of road and airfield pavements. This test’s results are very relevant in several contexts, for example, a survey for bearing capacity in existing road or airfield pavements requiring rehabilitation intervention. The present dissertation’s objective is to assess the precision and uncertainty performance in measuring deflection and to analyze its influence in the quality of results from the testing campaign, therefore assessing the structural capacity of existing pavements (backanalysis), in view to evaluate the structural quality and support a rehabilitation project. The deflection data was first processed for repeatability and reproducibility and afterward analyzed for uncertainty quantification. Lastly, the resulting data was used for a sensitivity analysis featuring the uncertainty of the measured deflection influence on the mechanical properties (elastic moduli) estimated from the field survey (back-analysis) on flexible pavements. The airport pavement deteriorates during service due to traffic and climate effects therefore, systematic monitoring is required to assess its structural and functional condition. This work aims to present the methodologies used nowadays for airport pavement evaluation and to contribute to their improvement in the structural analysis area This study aims to find out and analyze the value of PCN by using the ELMOD 6 application, which consists of inspection, maintenance, and repairs on the runway if it indicates a decrease in carrying capacity. By knowing the accurate value of PCN, it will support the smooth operation of the flight. The method used in this study is a descriptive qualitative approach. Data collection by means of documentation studies, participant observation and in depth interviews. Pavement Condition Surveys refer to activities performed to give an indication of the serviceability and physical conditions of road pavements. These activities have three main aspects: data collection, condition rating and quality management. In recent times, most state agencies are inclined towards automated and semi-automated means of collecting pavement data. Condition rating involves quantifying the condition of pavement assets based on a chosen scale or index. The rating index selected by an agency depends on the agency’s available resources and its ability to address pavement issues prevalent in the area.