Chapter 7 Pavement Design

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, airport pavements are primarily

constructed to provide adequate support for the loads imposed by aircraft using an
airport. The Federal Aviation Administration states that an adequate pavement design
produces a firm and stable, all-year, all-weather surface. In order to effectively fulfill
these requirements, the pavement must be of such quality and thickness that it will not
fail under the loads imposed by the various aircrafts using the airport. It is also vital for
the pavement throughout the airport to be durable and long-lasting in order to control
operating costs. The pavement chosen must possess sufficient inherent stability to
withstand the constant traffic, adverse weather conditions, and other deteriorating
influences to a degree that it does not constantly have to be attended to.
Although aircraft landing gears are involved in the design of airport pavement, the
Federal Aviation Administration does not specifically prescribe any component of landing
gear design. In 1958, the Federal Aviation Administration adopted a policy of limiting
maximum Federal participation in airport pavements to a pavement section designed to
serve a 350,000 pound aircraft with a DC-S-50 series landing gear configuration. The
main intent of this policy was to insure that future aircraft were equipped with landing
gears that would not stress the pavements more than the referenced 350,000 pound
aircraft.
Since, aircraft manufacturers have accepted and followed the 1958 policy. Even though
aircraft gross weights have substantially exceeded 350,000 pounds they still have
designed all aircraft landing gear to conform to the policy. This feat has been
accomplished by increasing the number and spacing of landing gear wheels. Therefore,
even though the policy of 1958 is not exactly the same as it was the year it was adopted,
the landing gear stills falls to the responsibility of the aircraft designers and
manufactures.
7.1 Existing Soil Investigation and Evaluation
The first step in the pavement design process is to inspect the existing soil present
throughout the site. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Unified Soil
Classification system should be used in all matters concerning civil airport pavements.
Soil conditions include factors such as the elevation of the water table, the presence of
water bearing strata, and the field properties of the soil. Some examples of field
properties of the soil include the soils density, moisture content, and frost penetration.
The standard method for classifying soils for engineering purposes is ASTM D 2487, or
more commonly known as the Unified System. One of the primary purposes in
determining the soil classifications is to have some idea of how the soil will behave under

Chapter 7: Pavement Design Airport Design California State Polytechnic University / Page 1

different scenarios. The Unified System classifies soil first by grain size and then further
subgroups that particular soil based upon its plasticity index.
For the Lake Mathews Airport proposed site, the soil characteristics for the preliminary
pavement design were obtain from the United States Department of Agriculture. The
Department of Agriculture provides a free software program called Web Soil Survey.
This software provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative
Soil Survey. It is operated by the United States Department of Agriculture Natural
Resources Conservation Service and provides access to the largest natural resource
information system in the world. Soil maps and data are available for free online at
websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/ for more than 96 percent of the nations counties.
Figure 7.1 illustrates the software that was used to obtain the soil characteristics for the
Lake Mathews Airport site.

Figure 7.1. Web Soil Survey, a computer software program which provides free soil characteristic
information for more than 96 percent of the nations counties, was primarily used to obtain the
soil information for the Lake Mathews Airport site.

In addition to the Web Soil Survey software program, the United States Geodetic Survey
geologic maps proved to be valuable aids in investigating the soils around the proposed
airport. Figure 7.2 illustrates a portion of the map available from the United States
Geodetic Survey that aids in illustrating the various soil types located around the Lake
Chapter 7: Pavement Design Airport Design California State Polytechnic University / Page 2

Mathews site. Once the different soil types are known throughout the area, the soil
classifications can be found through data provided once again by the United States
Geodetic Survey. An example of the soil classification table can be seen in Table 7.1.

Figure 7.2.

Map provided by the United States Geodetic Survey which assisted in determining the soil
type for the area surrounding the proposed Lake Mathews Airport.

Chapter 7: Pavement Design Airport Design California State Polytechnic University / Page 3

Table 7.1.

A portion of the engineering properties table provided by the United States Geodetic Survey
which guided in determining the soil classification for the area surrounding the proposed Lake
Mathews Airport.

From the engineering properties obtained from the United Stated Geodetic Survey, it was
found that the lowest quality of soil is classified as LaC. This has a Unified
Classification of CL and CL-ML for the first 12 inches. The classification of CL consists
of all inorganic clays of low to medium plasticity, gravelly clays, silty clays, and lean
clays. In addition, CL-ML was within the first 12 inches, this includes all inorganic clays
that were previously mentioned as well as inorganic silts, very fine sands, rock flour, and
silty or clayey fine sands. Between 12 inches and 32 inches, the soil has a classification
of CH and CL. Once again this region holds inorganic clays, as well high plasticity, and
fat clays. Weathered bedrock is at a depth from 32 to 54 inches.
7.2 Overall Pavement Thickness
Now that the engineering properties of the soil are known, the overall thickness of the
pavement needed throughout the airport can be determined.
The strength of the subgrade is the main factor in determining the thickness of the
pavement needed for a particular application. The value of the stiffness of the subgrade
is required if the stresses and strains in the pavement and the subgrade are to be
calculated. Subgrade strength is expressed in terms of its California bearing ratio (CBR)
value. The CBR value is measured by an empirical test devised by the California State
Chapter 7: Pavement Design Airport Design California State Polytechnic University / Page 4

Highway Association and is simply the resistance to a penetration of 2.45nn of a standard

cylindrical plunger to various penetrations in crushed aggregate, notably 13.24kN at
2.5mm penetration and 19.96kN at 5.0mm penetration.
The CBR value can be determined by conducting various tests on collected soil samples,
or it can be obtained from a standard table provided by the Federal Aviation
Administration. In the case of the Lake Mathews Airport, the CBR value and the soil
characteristics for the site was found through a provided table. Table 7.2 illustrates how
the Field CBR value was found for the soil around the Lake Mathews Airport site.
If the worst case scenario were considered, a CBR value of 3 to 5 would be selected. In
order to be conservative, a CBR value of 4 was selected. In addition, a Field CBR value
of 4 was selected due to the fact that the CBR values range from 3 to 40 in the location of
the runway and taxiway.
Once the Field CBR value is determined, the total pavement thickness can then be found.
The overall pavement thickness is a function of both the CBR value and the maximum
aircraft gross weight. Figure 7.3 illustrates the design curve that was used to determine
the pavement thickness. With a Field CBR value of 4 and a maximum aircraft gross
weight of 12,500 pounds, the thickness of the pavement was found to be 14 inches.

Chapter 7: Pavement Design Airport Design California State Polytechnic University / Page 5

Table 7.2.

Soil characteristics pertinent to pavement foundations per AC 150/5320-6D.

Chapter 7: Pavement Design Airport Design California State Polytechnic University / Page 6

Figure 7.3.

Design curves to find the overall thickness required for flexible pavement per AC 150/53206D.

7.3 Typical Pavement Layers

There are various types of pavement that the Federal Aviation Administration deems
acceptable. These include flexible, ridged, hot mix asphalt overlays, and ridged overlays.
A pavement does not have to consist of just one of these specific types, but rather, there
can be a combination which would result in a complex pavement ranging somewhere
between flexible and ridged.
A typical pavement design consists of four distinct layers: surface, base, subbase, and
subgrade. The first layer in the pavement is the surface. The surface courses include
portland cement concrete, hot mix asphalt, sand-bituminous mixture, and sprayed
bituminous surface treatments. The subsequent layer is the base. The base courses
consist of a variety of different materials which generally fall into two main classes:
treated and untreated. The untreated bases consist of crushed or uncrushed aggregates,
where as the treated bases normally consist of a crushed or uncrushed aggregate that has
been mixed with a stabilizer such as cement or bitumen. The subbase course is the next
in the pavement design layer. The subbase courses consist of a granular material, a
stabilized granular material, or a stabilized soil. The final layer consists of the subgrade.

The subgrade is the natural soil or a fill, which is compacted to a specified percent of
compaction based on the depth of compacted soil.
7.4 Flexible Pavement for Light Aircraft
Pavement for light aircraft is deemed by the Federal Aviation Administration as pavement
intended to serve aircraft with gross weights of less than 30,000 pounds. With the Lake
Mathews Airport being an AII-BII category airport, the maximum gross weight that the
airport can serve is 12,500 pounds. This gross aircraft weight would put the Lake
Mathews Airport in the light aircraft category.
Flexible pavement for light aircraft is composed of hot mix asphalt surfacing, base
course, subbase, and prepared subgrade. The hot mix asphalt surface is responsible for
preventing water to seep into the base course. In addition, the hot mix asphalt must
provide a smooth, well-bonded surface free from loose particles that pose a potential
threat to aircraft or persons using the airport. The base course is the primary load
carrying component of the flexible pavement. The subbase course is usually required for
flexible pavement, except for those with a CBR value of 20 or greater. However, with a
CBR value of 4 for the Lake Mathews site, a subbase course is needed.

Figure 7.4.

Typical sections for light aircraft pavement per AC 150/5320-6D.

Chapter 7: Pavement Design Airport Design California State Polytechnic University / Page 8

Overall Pavement Thickness

The pavement thickness of 14 inches, which was determined previously, must be used
upon all areas of airport pavement according to the Federal Aviation Administration. No
reduction in thickness should be made for noncritical areas of pavement. With the total
pavement thickness already determined, the next step in the pavement design process is
to find the thickness of the surfacing and the base.
Surfacing and Base Thickness
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, to find the surfacing and base
thickness, the CBR 20-line is used. Using the chart provided by the Federal Aviation
Administration, the thickness of the surfacing and base can be found. Using a CBR value
of 20, as instructed by the Federal Aviation Administration, and a maximum aircraft gross
weight of 12,500 pounds, a value of four and a half inches is obtained for the thickness of
the surfacing and base. This thickness value is rounded up to five inches in order to be
conservative and also because this base is, in essence, the structural element of the
pavement. Figure 7.5 represents how the thickness for the surfacing and base was
generated.
The Federal Aviation Administration states that the minimum thickness of the hot mix
asphalt surfacing over a granular base is two inches. The reason for the minimum
surfacing thickness is that layers thinner than two inches are difficult to place and
compact on granular bases. Hot mix asphalt surfacing thickness of less than two inches is
permissible on stabilized base materials if proper lay down and compaction can be
achieved. However, for the Lake Mathews Airport, a hot mix asphalt surface of two
inches will be used. This will have a corresponding base thickness of three inches.

Chapter 7: Pavement Design Airport Design California State Polytechnic University / Page 9

Figure 7.5.

Design curves to find the surfacing and base thickness required for flexible pavement per AC
150/5320-6D.

Subbase Thickness
The difference between the total pavement thickness required and the CBR 20-line
thickness yields the thickness of the subbase. With a total pavement thickness of 14
inches and a surfacing and base thickness of five inches, the total subbase thickness is
required to be nine inches. Using engineering judgment a surface thickness of four inches
will be used, and a base thickness of three inches will be used. Therefore the final
thickness of the flexible pavement is 16 inches.
Subgrade
The subgrade materials need to be compacted to a specific percentage depending upon
whether the soil is noncohesive or cohesive and the design aircraft gross weight. For the
Lake Mathews Airport, with cohesive soil and a maximum gross aircraft weight of
12,500 pounds, it was determined that the subgrade needs to be compacted to 85 percent
for eight to twelve inches or 90 percent for four to eight inches in depth. If the above
compaction requirements cannot be met, then the base will need to be increased in order
to accommodate the aircraft. Table 7.3 depicts how the subgrade compaction
requirements for the Lake Mathews Airport were obtained.

Chapter 7: Pavement Design Airport Design California State Polytechnic University / Page 10

Table 7.3.

Subgrade compaction requirements for light load flexible pavement per AC 150/5320-6D.

Final Flexible Pavement Design:

Figure 7.6.

Expansion Cross-section

of flexible pavement (Total Thickness).

Chapter 7: Pavement Design Airport Design California State Polytechnic University / Page 11

7.5 Rigid Pavement for Light Aircraft

Rigid pavements for light aircraft are composed of Portland cement concrete surfacing,
subbase, and prepared subgrade.
Portland Cement Surfacing
When determining the required thickness for the various rigid pavement layers, design
curves provided by the Federal Aviation Administration prove to be exceptionally helpful.
However, there are no design curves for light aircraft ridged pavement. There are only
two thickness requirements for the Portland cement surfacing; that for pavement designed
to serve aircraft weight 12,500 pounds or less and that for aircraft weighing between
12,501 pounds and 30,000 pounds. For ridged pavements designed to serve aircraft
weighing 12,500 pounds or less, a Portland cement surfacing thickness of five inches is
required. Rigid pavement designed to serve aircraft weighing between 12,501 pounds
and 30,000 pounds should be six inches thick. With the Lake Mathews Airport serving
aircraft with a gross weight less than 12,500 pounds, the Portland cement surfacing
thickness for rigid pavement needs to be five inches.
Subbase
No subbase is required for rigid pavement designs intended to serve aircraft weighing
12,500 pounds or less, except when soil types OL, MH, CH, or OH is encountered. If a
subbase is needed, the Federal Aviation Administration specifies when any of the above
soil types are present, a minimum four inch subbase should be provided. Due to the fact
that CH soil type was discovered at the Lake Mathews Airport site, a subbase of four
inches for the rigid pavement design is required.
Subgrade
The Federal Aviation Administration stipulates that a subgrade comprised of cohesive
soils used in fill sections, the entire fill shall be compacted to 90 percent of the maximum
density. For cohesive soils in cut sections, the top six inches of the subgrade shall be
compacted to 90 percent of the maximum density. The Federal Aviation Administration
specifies different standards for noncohesive soils, however due to the fact that the Lake
Mathews Airport consists only of cohesive soils, these standards do not apply. For the
Lake Mathews Airport, entire fill section and the top six inches of the cut section needs to
be compacted to 90 percent.
Jointing of Light Load Rigid Pavements
The maximum spacing of joints for light load rigid pavements should be 12.5 feet for
longitudinal joints and 15 feet for transverse joints. Jointing details for expansion joints,
contraction joints, and construction joints are illustrated in Figure 7.6, Figure 7.7, and
Figure 7.8 respectively.
Chapter 7: Pavement Design Airport Design California State Polytechnic University / Page 12

Figure 7.7.

Expansion joint details for light load rigid pavement per AC 150/5320-6D.

Figure 7.8.

Contraction joint details for light load rigid pavement per AC 150/5320-6D.

Chapter 7: Pavement Design Airport Design California State Polytechnic University / Page 13

Figure 7.9.

Construction joint details for light load rigid pavement per AC 150/5320-6D.

The Federal Aviation Administration notes that several differences exist between light
load and heavy load rigid pavement joints. For example, butt-type construction and
expansion joints are permitted when an asphalt or cement stabilized subbase is provided.
Also, half round-keyed joints are permitted even though the slab thick nesses are less
than nine inches. Odd-shaped slabs should be reinforced with 0.05% steel in both
directions. The Federal Aviation Administration defines odd-shaped slabs as slabs that are
not rectangular in shape, or rectangular slabs which length-to-width ratios exceed 1.25.
For the Lake Mathews Airport, longitudinal joints are going to be placed every 12.5 feet,
for a total of six sections. In the transverse direction, joints will be placed every 15 feet.
These transverse joints will extend for the entire length of the runway.

Chapter 7: Pavement Design Airport Design California State Polytechnic University / Page 14

Rigid Pavement Design:

Figure 7.10. Construction joint details.

Chapter 7: Pavement Design Airport Design California State Polytechnic University / Page 15