Analysis of rigid pavement response data induced by military aircraft at Denver International Airport

An Aircraft Classification Number (ACN) is a number assigned to an aircraft at a given load operating on a specific pavement structure. This number expresses the relative effect that the aircraft has on the pavement in relation to the effects of other aircraft. With respect to concrete (rigid) pavements, the ACN is determined from the load on a standard single wheel that would produce the same stress as the design aircraft landing gear. The procedure is based on Westergaard's analysis for loads at the interior of a pavement slab and does not consider the edge stress condition which is believed to be the critical stress location. The Waterways Experiment Station (WES) is conducting an airfield pavement instrumentation study at the Denver International Airport (DIA). An instrumentation system was designed and installed on a primary departure runway (Runway 16L/34R) at DIA.; In-situ pavement response measurements of strains and displacements collected during these tests provide an excellent opportunity to analyze the effects of these aircraft on a new concrete airfield pavement.; The objectives of this analysis include: (1) reducing the pavement response data collected from each aircraft by analyzing the time/history sensor response curves, (2) placing the relevant data into a database, (3) identifying the available theoretical methods for computing strains and deflections under loads on rigid pavements, (4) comparing theoretical modeled strains and deflections to actual measured values obtained under the military aircraft, and (5) comparing pavement response measurements between the aircraft to verify the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) method of reporting ACN values for military aircraft. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...