Airport pavement structures are characterised by their functional and structural conditions.
The functional condition of a pavement includes the safety evaluation of the pavement which is related to the properties that are noticeable for the airport user. This includes friction, to ensure that airplanes have sufficient braking capacity; roughness, which indicates if the pavement is smooth or bumpy; rutting (depressions in the wheel paths) as well as cracks, holes and other defects in the pavement surface.
The structural condition of a pavement expresses its bearing capacity, the capability to sustain the load of the traffic over the life time of the pavement structure - not only of the surface but also of the underlying, supporting layers. The underlying structures are not visible and therefore advanced equipment is needed to determine the structural condition of the pavement.
Both the functional condition and the structural condition deteriorate over time, as a result of traffic loading and the effects of moisture, frost and heat.
Airport-ACE provides the understanding of the mechanics of such deterioration, in order to assess the current condition of the pavement structure and to predict the remaining service life. Airport-ACE is capable of providing the following pavement engineering services:
• Functional/Safety Evaluation
• Pavement visual inspection and rapid high level appraisals
• Pavement Condition Index (PCI)
• Friction Testing
• Roughness Testing (using Road Surface Profilometers, RSP)
• Structural Evaluation
• Non Destructive Testing (using FWD/HWD equipment)
• Pavement layer strength estimates using state-of-the-art software packages
• Residual functional and structural pavement life reporting
• Allowable load / Pavement Classification Number (PCN) estimates
• Geotechnical Investigation and Engineering (using Multi-Function Vehicles, MFV)
• Construction Consultation
• Construction Quality Control & Quality Assurance