Parametric Sensitivity Analysis for the FAA’s Airport Pavement Thickness Design Software LEDFAA-1.3

Authors

  • N Garg Galaxy Scientific Corporation, EHT, NJ, United States of America
  • E. Guo Galaxy Scientific Corporation, EHT, NJ, United States of America
  • G.F. Hayhoe FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center, Airport Technology Research and Development Bran ch, AAR-410, Atlantic City International Airport, NJ, United States of America

Keywords:

Sensitivity analysis, Airport, Pavement, Design, Thikness, Life

Abstract

LEDFAA-1.3 is a computer program for airport pavement thickness design. It implements layered elastic theory based design procedures developed under the sponsorship of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for new and overlay design of flexible and rigid pavements. The layered elastic procedures, as implemented in the program, are the FAA airport pavement thickness design standards referenced in Chapter 7 of Advisory Circular AC 150/5320-6D, change 3. The core of the program is Leaf, a layered elastic computational program implemented, in this case, as a Microsoft Windows™ ActiveX dynamic link library written in Visual Basic™ 6.0. Pavement thickness design needs many input parameters and different input parameters have different influences on the pavement life. Pavement life is insensitive to some parameters, a small change of the parameter has only limited effects on the pavement life; however, for other parameters, life is very sensitive to changes in their values; a small change will lead to significant change of the pavement life. Sensitivity analysis is a powerful tool to clarify, verify, quantitatively understand, and compare existing airport pavement design specifications. The results and findings of the study provide essential information in modifying and improving the existing specifications and developing new ones. Results from a parametric sensitivity analysis are presented in this paper. The findings are being used to modify and improve the existing FAA airport pavement thickness design models and in the development of the new FAA design models.

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Published

2019-07-21