Air Force Pavement Design System Concepts

In this paper the concepts used for the highway pavement system models as they might apply to an United States Air Force airfield pavement systems design are reviewed. The concepts are examined and possible applications are proposed where practical. Factors peculiar to problems encountered with Air Force airfield pavements are also analyzed. The concepts are evaluated in terms of input criteria, models, and output, as might be expected for a systems approach to a large project. The input criteria to a pavement system model include traffic environmental effects, and design considerations. The models to be studied include some means of pavement serviceability rating and economic evaluation methods. The outputs include performance periods for a particular pavement system that emerge from the inputs and models. The concepts are applicable primarily to air bases with peacetime missions.