Pavement Management Services for the
Houston Airport System

Problem Statement and Objectives

The City of Houston operates and maintains three airports which comprise the Houston Airport System (HAS): Houston Bush Intercontinental, William P. Hobby Airport, and Ellington Field. Since 1994, ARA has been providing the city of Houston comprehensive airfield pavement engineering services to assist the city in the cost-effective management of its airfield pavements. ARA's services have included:

• Conducting regular airfield Pavement Condition Index (PCI) surveys
  
• Developing performance models that accurately project future pavement conditions
  
• Forecasting of future pavement maintenance and rehabilitation needs
  
• Implementing traffic modeling tools that allow HAS to evaluate the impact of various aircraft traffic patterns on overall pavement performance
  
• Using detailed, FAA-compliant analysis tools that calculate remaining pavement life, identify future pavement needs, and generate multi-year capital improvement programs
  
• Performing detailed pre-design and post-construction pavement evaluations using nondestructive testing, ground penetrating radar (GPR), and visual condition assessments to assertain the load-carrying capabilities of the in-place pavement structures
  
• Developing cost-effective, long-lasting pavement designs using the latest FAA design procedures and our expertise in airfield pavement design. Our design services have included new pavement sections for reconstruction projects, as well as overlays for existing pavements

Results and Benefits

As a result of ARA's assistance, the city is effectively and proactively managing its airfield pavement assets. Using ARA's AIRPAV pavement management software, the city is able to maintain a database of current airfield pavement conditions, project future pavement conditions, identify pavement repair needs, and develop cost-effective pavement maintenance. Furthermore, ARA's post-construction studies allow the city to verify that its new pavement structures were constructed of sufficient quality to provide the service life and load-carrying capabilities intended by the designer, providing HAS peace of mind that the paving contractor delivered a quality product.