Relating Initial Structural Response to Heavy Aircraft Pavement Performance Test Data

The National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF) was constructed to generate fullscale testing data to study the performance of airport pavements subjected to complex gear loading configurations of New Generation Aircraft (NGA). The first series of tests involved repeated traffic loading of Boeing 777 and Boeing 747 gears on two different lanes until failure. A fixed wander pattern was applied. Two low-strength subgrade and two medium-strength subgrade flexible test sections were considered. Surface deflections using Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) and Heavy Weight Deflectometer (HWD) were measured prior to and throughout the traffic testing. Traditionally, the surface deflection is known to be a reliable pavement structural response indicator for predicting general pavement performance. In this paper, the HWD surface deflections are related to rutting performance, which is defined in terms of number of load repetitions to reach specific rut depth levels based on well-known pavement distress criteria. A surface deflection ratio parameter showed very strong correlation to rutting performance. Regression models were also developed to relate the rutting (Power) model parameters to initial measured surface deflection basin parameters.

• Corporate Authors:

  International Society for Asphalt Pavements

  4711 Clark Avenue, Suite G
  White Bear Lake, MN  United States  55110
• Authors:
  • GOPALAKRISHNAN, K
  • THOMPSON, MR
• Conference:
  • 10TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ASPHALT PAVEMENTS - AUGUST 12 TO 17, 2006, QUEBEC CITY, CANADA
• Publication Date: 2006

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Pagination: p. vol2,423-33
• Monograph Title: 10th International Conference on Asphalt Pavements - August 12 to 17, 2006, Quebec City, Canada

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aircraft; Airport runways; Airports; Conferences; Deflectographs; Pavement design; Rutting; Tests; Weight
• Identifier Terms: Boeing 747 aircraft; Boeing 777 aircraft
• Uncontrolled Terms: Heavy; New generation aircraft
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Design; Highways; Pavements; Terminals and Facilities; Vehicles and Equipment; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01084354
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)
• Files: TAC
• Created Date: Jan 15 2008 11:26AM