| The situation
A major Dutch airport needs to know the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) and the residual constructional lifespan of several taxiways and platforms. The PCI is an example of a technical approach which requires a manual examination of the pavement. The index was originally developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, but was later standardised by the ASTM. The surveying processes and calculation methods are documented and standardised by ASTM for airport roads and sidewalks. Commissioned by NACO Airport Consultancy & Engineering, Unihorn has carried out investigations of the pavement and drafted recommendations. What was special about this project was how the input for the PCI determination was collected. Normally this is done manually but thanks to INSPECH this aspect of the PCI process was automated.
| The solution
The current state of the asphalt and concrete pavements were recorded with HD video cameras and defect locations determined by GPS using a specially equipped Unihorn vehicle driven along the taxiways. Subsequently, the observable defects from the video images were identified by INSPECH in accordance with the criteria of the ASTM D5340-20 standard.
To determine the PCI values, Unihorn then built a database in MicroPaver with a section and sample unit layout. After entering the defects, the PCI values were calculated with MicroPaver.
| The answer
Thanks to INSPECH, the condition of the airport pavement infrastructure has been mapped out completely, quickly and in detail for both the client and the airport. In addition, INSPECH allows automatic comparisons between multiple inspections, enabling trend analysis and PCI forecasting per sample unit. By comparing the PCI inspection results of previous inspections with the most recent results, a prognosis for the development of the PCI value for the next 5 years has been established.
| Main advantages
- Automated inspection, no manual inspection required.
- Observable defects from the video images were identified by INSPECH according to the criteria of the ASTM D5340-20 standard.
- The measurement processes and calculation methods are documented and standardised by ASTM for airport roads and pavements.
| Lessons learned
- By comparing the PCI results of previous inspections with the most recent results, a forecast of the development of the PCI value for the next 5 years was produced.
- INSPECH provided the client and the airport with a complete, rapid and detailed picture of the condition of the airport's pavement infrastructure.
- A forecast of the PCI evolution for the next 5 years was provided.
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