Maintaining 40 years of Pavement Inventory at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Abstract: The Pavement Management Program at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) has been a cornerstone of the airport's infrastructure maintenance strategy since 1984. Over time, the program has evolved to encompass a wide array of data, including pavement condition index (PCI), structural response data (HWD), petrographic analysis, smoothness ratings, traffic surveillance, and more. This extensive information is meticulously stored in a slab-level database inventory within a Geographic Information System (GIS), which serves as the foundation for pavement condition assessment at the airport. Analyzing the results, a comprehensive Pavement Evaluation report is generated to detail the existing pavement condition and presents a list of recommendations for improving airfield infrastructure. Recommendations are based on the correlation between the pavement’s characteristics, PCI, foreign object damage (FOD) potential, and traffic volume, among other factors. The results inform the scope of subsequent pavement replacement and airfield repair projects performed every three years. Larger, distressed areas impacted by similar traffic are addressed through full-depth pavement replacement while airfield repairs are performed to remediate smaller, more localized distresses and prolong the service life of existing pavement. The presented information overviews the systematic approach of maintaining this cyclical system, highlighting the processes and methodologies employed to achieve and sustain optimal pavement conditions at the world's busiest airport.