Airport 

Engineering

A dream is just a dream. A  Fall Semester
goal is a dream with a plan  20 Sept 10 to 12 Jan 11
and a deadline. Lecture – 10
Harvey Mackay Transportation Engineering‐1(NIT‐SCEE‐ CE – 408 1
NUST)
 Typical Flexible Pavement

Hot-Mix Asphalt Surface

B C
Base Course (Minimum
(Mi i CBR=80)
CBR 80)
Progresssively stronger layerss

(May Require Stabilization)

Subbase (MinimumCBR=20)
(Minimum CBR=20)
(May Require Stabilization)

Frost Protection ((As Appropriate)

pp p )

Subgrade
 Typical Rigid Pavement

Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) 

Subbase Course **
Subgrade
g

** Stabilization required when airplanes exceeding 100,000 lbs are in 
the traffic mixture.

3
Sequence

– STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF AIRPORT PAVEMENTS
• FAA Method 
h d
– Flexible pavements 
– Light Aircraft design
Light Aircraft design
– Rigid pavements 

Transportation Engineering‐1(NIT‐SCEE‐
4
NUST)
 Thickness Selection
Thickness Selection
• Figure
Figure 3.2 to 3.15 give the total pave thickness 
3 2 to 3 15 give the total pave thickness
(thickness above sub base + surface layer 
thickness)
• Table 3‐4 gives min base course thickness (if 
design thickness is less than value use in table)
design thickness is less than value use in table)
• For annual departures in excess of 25000, inc 
the pav. Thickness by following factors in table 
h Thi k b f ll i f i bl
3‐5.or Inc. asphalt concrete thickness by 1”.
 Thickness Selection
Thickness Selection
• Figure
Figure 3.17 to 3.29 give the total pave 
3 17 to 3 29 give the total pave
thickness (the thickness of concrete)
• Use of the design curves requires four design 
Use of the design curves requires four design
input parameters: concrete flexural strength, 
subgrade modulus, gross weight of the design 
modulus gross weight of the design
aircraft, and annual departure of the design 
aircraft. 
aircraft
 Design Problem
Design Problem
• Assume that a rigid pavement is to be designed for dual 
tandem aircraft having a gross weight of 350,000 pounds 
(160 000 kg) and for 6,000 annual equivalent departures of 
the design aircraft. The equivalent annual departures of 
6 000 i l d 1 200
6,000 include 1,200 annual departures of B‐747 aircraft 
ld t f B 747 i ft
weighing 780,000 pounds (350 000 kg) gross weight. The 
subgrade modulus of 100 PC1 (25 MN/m3) with poor 
drainage and frost penetration is 18 inches (460 mm) The
drainage and frost penetration is 18 inches (460 mm). The 
subgrade soil is CL. Concrete mix designs indicate a flexural 
strength of 650 PSI (4.5MN/m*) can be readily produced 
with locally available aggregates. The gross weight of the
with locally available aggregates. The gross weight of the 
design aircraft dictates the use of a stabilized subbase. 
Several thicknesses of stabilized subbases should be tried 
to determine the most economical section.