To protect the valuable infrastructure of the Commonwealth’s airports, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), Aeronautics Division selected APTech to implement an airport pavement management system (APMS) for thirty-three airports in 2012. Based on their satisfaction with our work, APTech was selected to perform the 2016 and 2020 to 2023 updates.

During the latest update, APTech compiled work history information and used that to update network definition maps. To obtain current condition information, APTech performed Pavement Condition Index (PCI) inspections according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and ASTM procedures. This work then led to the update of the PAVER database.

With information in hand, APTech was then able to develop a multi-year maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) plan for MassDOT and generate individual reports, a statewide report, and an executive summary. APTech also used the findings of the study to update MassDOT’s web-based, pavement data visualization tool, IDEA. This tool enables users to easily view and retrieve project information and results.

As part of the project, APTech also provided MassDOT staff with training on the PCI procedure and how to use PAVER. During previous work on the APMS, APTech calculated Pavement Classification Numbers (PCNs) for selected pavements as well as conducted training on the PCI procedure to airport and MassDOT staff.

APTech’s update of the APMS enables MassDOT to continue to preserve its valuable airport pavement infrastructure in an efficient and effective manner. It is also able to continue its outreach program to communicate the importance of pavement preservation to the airport sponsors and consultants. The IDEA provides an effective tool to further this communication and provides easy access to the findings and recommendations developed during the APMS project, without requiring the use of pavement management software.

In 2023, The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) Aviation Planning Section selected APTech to update their statewide airport pavement management system (APMS) for the twenty-two of the airports in their system. This project builds on APTech’s successful Nevada APMS update in 2018.

As part of this project, APTech will:

Update all pavement inventory, work history, and mapping from the previous APMS update

Complete condition inspections of each airport to collect pavement condition index (PCI) data

Perform maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) analysis

Develop a multi-year capital improvement plan (CIP) for pavement needs at each airport

Document results in an individual airport executive summary for each airport, a statewide executive summary report, and delivery of the interactive APMS visualization tool, IDEA

Determine Pavement Classification Ratings (PCRs) for the runways at the project airports as a measure of relative pavement strength and develop aircraft traffic forecasts for each airport  

Throughout this project, APTech will aid NDOT and airport sponsors in efficiently prioritizing pavement improvements, making the best use of available funding. This project will also assist each airport that is part of the NPIAS in fulfilling a majority of the requirements of FAA Grant Assurance 11 regarding the implementation of an effective pavement management system.

In 1999, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) Aeronautics Group recognized that it needed a system that would enable it to expend its limited budget for pavement maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) in a way that maximized every dollar spent. To meet this challenge, ADOT chose APTech to establish an airport pavement management system (APMS). Impressed with APTech’s work and the usefulness of the APMS not only for themselves but also to the Federal Aviation Administration, airport sponsors, and consultants, the ADOT Aeronautics Group has retained APTech to complete six updates to the system, with the most current being completed in 2023.

During the most recent project, APTech updated the pavement systems inventory and associated maps and conducted Pavement Condition Index (PCI) inspections for sixty-two airports. In addition, APTech developed an 8-year M&R plan that focused on identifying projects for its proactive Airport Pavement Preservation Program (APPP).

Deliverables included a statewide report, individual airport reports, an APMS procedures manual, an executive summary report, and an update to its web-based pavement data visualization tool, IDEA. Many new features were incorporated into this version of IDEA, including a powerful query and filter tool and aerial imagery.

Training courses on the PCI procedure and the PAVER pavement management software were conducted as part of this update. The project culminated with a presentation of the findings of the most recent update and a demonstration on the use of IDEA at the Arizona Airports Association annual spring conference in May 2023.

During previous updates, structural testing with a heavy-weight falling-weight deflectometer, supplemented with a coring program, was undertaken as well as a structural analysis to determine structural strength and Pavement Classification Numbers.

APTech’s APMS inspections have made a lasting impact on the state. The initial 2000 implementation confirmed that state funding levels were insufficient to sponsor all needed pavement M&R projects. Therefore, the ADOT Aeronautics Group initiated the APPP, which allows the state to make the best use of its limited budget by funding those work types that have historically proven to provide the most benefit per dollar expended. The APPP is particularly important for smaller airports or those located in sparsely populated areas, which could not otherwise afford extensive maintenance efforts.

The ADOT Aeronautics Group is now able to proactively manage the pavement infrastructure at airports around the state with software that can help to identify pavement-related needs and develop prioritized lists of pavement-related projects.

In 2021, APTech was awarded a 5-year contract with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Division of Aeronautics to provide updates to Colorado’s statewide Airport Pavement Management System (APMS), continuing a relationship with the Division that extends back to 1996.

This update will allow stakeholders, including the CDOT Division of Aeronautics, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and individual airports, to make informed decisions on where and how to direct funds for the State’s airport pavement assets. To achieve this goal, APTech is evaluating the current pavement conditions by performing Pavement Condition Index (PCI) inspections. The data collected from these evaluations are then utilized to update the state’s PAVER database and develop pavement performance models.

The data are also used to generate recommendations for pavement maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R), which CDOT uses along with future pavement performance predictions to prepare and evaluate capital improvement plans for each airport. The collected data and analysis results of each year’s APMS update are easily accessible through the web-based interactive pavement management tool, IDEA.

A key to the success of this long-term relationship is the partnership between APTech and the CDOT Division of Aeronautics. A team consisting of an APTech engineer and CDOT Division of Aeronautics staff members perform PCI evaluations at one-third of the sixty-two airports each year. The CDOT Division of Aeronautics facilitates the process by obtaining information pertaining to pavement maintenance, rehabilitation, and construction at the project airports and assisting with the development of unit costs for use in the M&R analysis.

Through this partnership, APTech provides CDOT first-hand knowledge of airport pavement conditions, and in turn, APTech receives accurate construction records and costs to update the APMS’s PAVER database and IDEA.

Since 2004, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Office of Aeronautics has trusted APTech to update their statewide Airport Pavement Management System (APMS). The overall goal of the project is to develop cost-effective plans for preserving and rehabilitating the airport pavement infrastructure at Michigan airports and ensure Michigan’s airports in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) remain in compliance with Public Law 103-305 regarding airport pavement maintenance management.

Due to APTech’s exceptional work, Office of Aeronautics renewed this contract for additional updates in 2009, 2013, 2016, 2020, and 2022. The APMS now includes a total of ninety-eight airports, with approximately one-third of them assessed each year.

During the current project cycle, APTech is:

Conducting pavement condition index (PCI) inspections in accordance with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and ASTM procedures

Updating the PAVER pavement management system

Analyzing the collected data to:

determine current pavement conditions

project future pavement conditions

develop recommendations for the maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) of the pavement system.

Updating Michigan’s web-based interactive pavement management tool IDEA, initially developed during the 2004 update

APTech ensured the success of each APMS update through effective data distribution and communication of pavement-related needs. The IDEA ensures that the data is readily accessible to everyone who needs it, regardless of their technical background. The program can be viewed on any computer with an internet browser, providing instant access to the most commonly requested pavement management information—such as PCI maps, distress photographs, and M&R recommendations—without requiring the user to own and operate the pavement management system.

The Office of Aeronautics has been so satisfied with APTech’s work that it awarded APTech with the Michigan DOT Bureau of Aeronautics and Freight Services’ Consultant of the Year award in both 2009 and 2015.

After establishing an airport pavement management system (APMS) in the early 1980’s, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Bureau of Aeronautics (BOA) decided in 2009 that it was no longer utilizing valuable APMS data to its fullest extent. In addition, it was using a proprietary APMS software program that was no longer fulfilling its needs. Therefore, in 2009, the BOA selected APTech to modernize its APMS and update the pavement inventory and condition data contained in the system. The goal of this project was to maximize the usefulness of the APMS for all users of the information including the BOA, airport sponsors, consultants, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Building on the success of the previous project, the BOA selected APTech to conduct the 2012 to 2018, 2019 to 2022, and most recently the 2023 to 2026 Wisconsin APMS Updates, which now totals ninety-one airports.

Our work for this project includes:

For the initial project, converting the original APMS database from a proprietary software system to one utilizing the PAVER pavement management software

Conducting pavement condition index (PCI) inspections for approximately one-third of the state APMS each year over a 3-year period

Updating the PAVER database with pavement inventory data, construction history information, project mapping, PCI data, and analysis criteria.

Completing a 5-year pavement maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) needs analysis for existing pavements included in the project

Developing a GIS link network definition maps to the data contained within PAVER

Assisting with the incorporation of specific APMS data into the BOA’s external GIS

Conducting structural evaluation through falling-weight deflectometer testing

Calculating pavement condition numbers, as needed, for all commercial airport runways, multiple taxiway and apron areas, and several general aviation airports in the system

Preparing individual airport reports

Developing the Wisconsin IDEA for use by all stakeholders

The APMS allows the BOA to proactively manage the M&R needs of the pavement infrastructure at Wisconsin airports in the most fiscally responsible manner possible. It provides the BOA with the means to anticipate pavement-related funding needs and provides airports with the information needed to remain in compliance with Public Law 103-305 and FAA grant assurance 11 regarding a pavement maintenance management program.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Aeronautics Division recognizes the need for a successful airport pavement management system (APMS). The APMS plays an integral role in maintaining the state’s pavement infrastructure at its seventy airports. As such, in 2018, TDOT selected APTech to update its APMS. This successful update led to TDOT partnering with APTech for a second time in 2022.

Throughout this project, APTech reviewed pavement related work information and used this data to update the PAVER database and network definition maps. APTech then conducted Pavement Condition Index (PCI) inspections in accordance with ASTM D5340, and the collected data was incorporated into the PAVER database. In addition, APTech analyzed distress data, performed a statewide condition analysis, developed pavement performance forecast models, and prepared a 5-year maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) plan for each airport.

APTech also updated the web-based, interactive pavement management data visualization tool, IDEA, which enables users to easily view and retrieve project information and results. APTech delivered a 1-day training course to the Aeronautics Division staff, which included an overview of the APMS and the use of PAVER software. During the previous project, structural testing was conducted with APTech’s falling weight deflectometer (FWD) and Pavement Classification Numbers (PCNs) were calculated for runway pavements at thirty-two airports.

During the previous update and this update, the Aeronautics Division retained APTech to complete additional work orders as part of this project, including updating the APMS to modify included pavement areas, assisting with comparing state material specifications with those of the FAA, and developing a pavement life-cycle cost analysis tool. Additionally, APTech is currently assisting the Aeronautics Division with a bituminous index pricing adjustment, fuel indexing, and the standardization of specification bid items numbers.

Results have been used to assist TDOT with their annual statewide maintenance program and provide input on project selections and treatment types.

In 2002, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) Multimodal Operations – Aviation Section (Aviation Section) selected APTech to implement an Airport Pavement Management System (APMS), beginning with a pilot study involving five airports. The project was so successful that MoDOT retained APTech to expand the APMS to include most of the agency’s paved, publicly owned public-use airports. Since then, APTech has partnered with MoDOT several times to update the APMS, including the current on-call project. The APMS now contains seventy airports. Each update is typically divided into three phases with approximately one-third of the system’s airports inspected during each phase.

APTech’s work for each project phase includes updating the systems inventory and network definition and conducting Pavement Condition Index (PCI) inspections. The APTech team also customizes the PAVER database, analyzes the collected data, and generates project reports. In addition, APTech uses the collected data to develop a 5-year maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) program.

In 2011, APTech integrated the MoDOT Aviation Section’s APMS to APTech’s web-based interactive pavement data visualization tool, IDEA. Since then, IDEA has been a valuable resource to share pavement information in an easy-to-understand format. Consistent updates provide the MoDOT Aviation Section and stakeholders with the most accurate and updated information available. During previous project updates, APTech conducted a webinar on the use of the IDEA program for airport sponsors, performed structural testing with a falling-weight deflectometer (FWD), and calculated Pavement Condition Numbers (PCNs) for selected pavements.

APTech’s work allows the MoDOT Aviation Section to proactively manage the pavement infrastructure at its airports in the most fiscally responsible manner possible. It provides the MoDOT Aviation Section with the means to anticipate pavement-related funding needs, as well as provides National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) airports with the information needed to remain in compliance with Public Law 103-305 regarding pavement maintenance management.

The State of Hawaii owns and operates the public-use airports throughout the state. Recognizing the tremendous value these facilities represent, the Hawaii DOT (HDOT) implemented an airport pavement management system (APMS) in 1999. During this initial project, APTech implemented the portion of the APMS for Daniel K. Inouye International (HNL) and Kahului (OGG) Airports. Due to the state’s satisfaction, APTech was contracted again in 2005 and 2014. These updates were split into two separate projects, one for five small hub commercial airports and a second for two medium and large hub airports (HNL and OGG). Most recently, in 2019, HDOT selected the team of Bowers + Kubota (B+K) and APTech, serving in a subconsultant role, to update the State’s APMS for fifteen airports, including seven commercial service airports and eight general aviation airports. 

Throughout the projects, our work included:

Performing records research

Evaluating the airport pavements using the PCI procedure

Updating the PAVER database

Preparing a multi-year maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) plan

Producing detailed project reports

Incorporating pavement data within the state’s WINGS GIS

During the 2000 and 2014 updates, conducting a full structural analysis of the pavements at HNL and OGG using a heavy-weight falling weight deflectometer (FWD)

Work at these airports presented some interesting challenges. Both HNL and OGG are very busy facilities. Therefore, completing the fieldwork efficiently required extensive coordination with operations, engineering, and the FAA staff responsible for controlling the facilities and their flight operations. The COVID-19 pandemic also presented a significant challenge to completing the most recent update due to state travel restrictions. However, the B+K/APTech team was able to adjust to this new reality and leveraged B+K’s local presence with APTech’s APMS expertise to deliver a successful APMS update.

The Iowa DOT’s Modal Transportation Bureau has been proactive in managing the pavements at Iowa airports since the early 1990s, and in 1997, the Modal Transportation Bureau became APTech’s first state airport pavement management client. Due to its satisfaction with APTech, the Modal Transportation Bureau continued to select the APTech team to conduct its APMS updates on several projects spanning from 2003 to 2027.

The project is divided into three phases. APTech inspects approximately one-third of the system’s National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) airports during each phase, with non-NPIAS airports typically inspected less frequently. During the most recent update, APTech is compiling systems inventory information provided by the Modal Transportation Bureau and updating network definition and associated airport CAD maps. The APTech team is also completing PCI inspections, updating and customizing the PAVER database, and developing M&R plans for preserving the pavement infrastructure. Additionally, APTech is developing individual airport and statewide pavement management reports. Previous updates have also included PCN determinations for runways at the project airports.

During each project, APTech updates the Modal Transportation Bureau’s interactive data visualization tool, IDEA, which provides access to the most requested pavement management information without requiring the user to obtain and operate the pavement management system. APTech has also conducted webinars on the use of IDEA and periodically provides presentations at Iowa Public Airports Association Conferences on topics related to the APMS.