Slow-Rolling Response Tests on the Test Pavements at the National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF)

Abstract

Airport pavement thickness design procedures predict a significant amount of interaction between the loads from multiple-wheel and closely spaced multipletruck landing gear configurations. But the true degree of interaction is not known, and measurements from full-scale tests are required to determine how closely wheels and trucks can be spaced without significant load interaction. As a supplement to traffic tests run to failure at a later date, pavement response tests were performed to study the wheel load interaction effects. Pavement responses (stresses, strains, deflections, etc.) were measured at various depths in each of the nine pavement test items at the National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF) for different combinations of wheel configurations, truck configurations, and load levels. Moving loads were applied at a speed of 0.15 m/sec (0.5 feet/second). A total of 522 tests were performed on six flexible pavement test items and 108 tests were performed on three rigid pavement test items. This paper describes the response test objectives and test procedures. Some typical pavement responses are presented. Data from the response tests is being analyzed at the FAA Center of Excellence for Airport Technology at the University of Illinois. The raw data is also available from the FAA for independent analysis.

Asphalt Concrete Strain Responses at High Loads and Low Speeds at the National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF)

“…Tests were run at wheel loads of 106.8, 133.5, and 160.2 kN (24,000, 30,000, and 36,000 lbs) at each speed. Module 1-1 and Module 2-1 on Carriages 1 and 2, respectively, were used for testing (for carriage and load module details, refer to Hayhoe, 2001). Carriage offset was 3.81 m (12.71 feet) on either side of the pavement centerline.…”

Instantaneous pavement condition evaluation using non-destructive neuro-evolutionary approach

“…As-constructed cross-sectional views of these two test items considered in this study are shown in Figure 10. The gradation information, laboratory compaction properties and material characterisation test results for the sub-grade soils, P-209, and P-154 geomaterials are contained in the FAA's materials database (accessible for download at the FAA Airport Technology website: www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov) (Hayhoe and Garg 2001). During the first series of full-scale traffic tests, a sixwheel dual-tridem (B777) landing gear, with 1372 mm (54 inches) dual spacing and 1448 mm (57 inches) tandem spacing was loaded on the north wheel track (LANE 2) while the south side (LANE 5) was loaded with a four-wheel dual-tandem (B747) landing gear having 1118 mm (44 inches) dual spacing and 1473 mm (58 inches) tandem spacing.…”

Effect of Pavement Structure on the Mechanical Response and Performance of Perpetual Pavements at the National Airport Pavement Test Facility

“…Located at the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center, Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey, the National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF) aims at generating full-scale pavement response and performance data for the development and verification of airport pavement design criteria. The NAPTF became operational on April 12, 1999 and consists of a 900 feet long by 60 feet wide test pavement area, embedded pavement instrumentation with dynamic data acquisition system, environmental instrumentation with static data acquisition system, and the NAPTF test vehicle for trafficking the test pavement with configurations of up to eighteen wheels with loads up to 75,000 pounds per wheel ( 1, 2 ).…”