About the Project

Applied Pavement Technology, Inc. (APTech) worked as a subcontractor to update the PMP for the runways and taxiways at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). This project included approximately 20 million square feet of pavement and was built on a program previously completed in 2017 for CLT’s runway and taxiway pavements. Runway and taxiway shoulder pavements were incorporated into the PMP as part of this project, providing the client with more comprehensive information about their airfield pavements. The project was complemented by a Pavement Management Program (PMP) for apron pavements, completed by APTech in 2020.

This project consisted of multiple phases. The first phase focused on pavement analysis, which included reviewing relevant pavement maintenance and construction records, performing PCI inspections, conducting FWD testing, and developing a coring plan. On-site work was completed during nightly closures. APTech customized the PAVER database to determine the maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) needs, which were used as a starting point for developing a 5-year capital improvement plan (CIP). Subsequent analysis consisted of calculating PCNs and PCRs, along with calculating structural remaining life of each aircraft-trafficked pavement section. APTech submitted a comprehensive project report and executive summary documenting the methodologies used, data collected, and results of the analysis for the runway and taxiway PMP update. APTech also participated in a series of meetings throughout the project to facilitate coordination and communication of results.

The second phase of this project included on-call pavement assessments as requested by CLT to determine the ability of certain pavement areas to accommodate aircraft operations outside of the typical aircraft fleet mix. The final phase of this project consisted of performing annual (4 years in total) non-destructive testing on a sinusoidal longitudinal joint constructed along Taxiway M, analyzing the data to calculate the load transfer efficiency, assessing the relationship to or change from previous results, and providing the data to the Federal Aviation Administration’s William J. Hughes Technical Center as part of ongoing research.

APTech’s work on the PMP allowed CLT staff to manage their valuable runway and taxiway pavement infrastructure in an efficient, cost-effective manner, considering both functional and structural conditions. Results of this project brought engineering, planning, and maintenance staff together to continue improving their airfield pavement infrastructure.