Cyclic Approach to Airport Pavement Management Based on Non-Destructive Deflection Testing

The Authors describe the role of non-destructive deflection tests in Airport Pavement Management System (APMS) presenting the experience developed at an Italian Airport. An original approach to APMS implementation is illustrated, based on the PDCA cycle for quality control and continuous improvement of processes. An example application for the management of the runway pavement is described. Deflection test results obtained in four tests campaign carried out over a ten years period were globally analyzed to obtain pavement bearing capacity evolution and demonstrate the effectiveness of cyclic approach to pavement management. It is showed that structural evaluation can be an invaluable tool in pavement management and assist planning activities in the medium and long term.