Airfield Pavement Systems

The concepts on which are based the most popular of the current pavement design procedures were introduced nearly 30 years ago. At that time, structural support problems had a dominant effect on design procedures. While other requirements are considered in the design process, they have been treated in an ad-hoc manner as difficulties arose. With the arrival of the jumbo jets, the importance of the pavement to the air transport system is becoming apparent. The aerospace industry predicts five times the passenger miles and 10 to 20 times the cargo tonnage by 1985 as today. Airplanes are expected to be twice the size and weight of those currently flying. The demands of these large, heavy, high performance aircraft will be more rigorous than those of today and a new and comprehensive look at the pavement's role is needed. The systems approach holds the key to an integrated plan for design, construction, operation, and maintenance of airfield pavements.