2013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Massachusetts Airport Pavement
Management System
Overview
BACKGROUND
Pavements represent one of the largest capital investments in the Massachusetts aviation
system, and the condition of these pavements is important both from cost-effectiveness and
safety standpoints. Timely airport pavement maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) are crucial
because repairs are much more costly once the condition deteriorates below a certain level.
Additionally, airport pavement weaknesses, such as cracks and loose debris, pose a significant
safety risk to aircraft.
Recognizing a need to protect this critical investment, the Massachusetts Department of
Transportation Aeronautics Division (MassDOT Aeronautics) established a statewide airport
pavement management system (APMS) in 2012 to monitor the condition of the Massachusetts
airport infrastructure and to proactively plan for its preservation. The ultimate goal of this project
was to provide the airports, MassDOT Aeronautics, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
with the pavement information and analytical tools that could help them identify pavement-related
needs, optimize the selection of projects and treatments over a multi-year period, and evaluate
the long-term impacts of project priorities.
During this project, the pavement conditions at thirty-three Massachusetts airports were assessed,
and the collected pavement inventory and condition data were used to establish an APMS
database. The data were analyzed to determine the overall health of the aviation pavement
system, to identify pavement-related needs, and to provide recommendations for pavement M&R.
This report describes the findings and recommendations of the APMS project.
BENEFITS OF THE AIRPORT PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The MassDOT Aeronautics APMS yields many benefits. It provides MassDOT Aeronautics,
the individual airports, and the FAA with the information needed to monitor the condition of the
pavements to ensure they are able to safely accommodate aircraft operations. The APMS also
provides MassDOT Aeronautics with information necessary to make cost-effective decisions
about the M&R of the pavement infrastructure while understanding the long-term impacts of the
decisions made. In addition, the APMS fulfills many of the National Plan of Integrated Airport
Systems (NPIAS) airport requirements of Public Law 103-305 and Grant Assurance 11 for
maintaining a pavement maintenance management system.
The APMS also identifies when different pavement strategies would be most appropriate. The
timing of projects is important because preventive maintenance actions, such as crack sealing
and surface treatments, can cost-effectively extend the life of a pavement. Once preventive
maintenance is no longer the appropriate repair, it is critical to step in with major rehabilitation,
such as an overlay or surface reconstruction, as soon as possible. At some point, the pavement
structure may become so degraded that the only viable alternative is complete reconstruction.
The financial impact of delaying repairs until this point is reached can be severe, as reconstruction
can cost many times the cost of an overlay. In addition, there is a point where the pavement
becomes unsafe for aircraft operations.
1
MASSACHUSETTS AIRPORT PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Project Airports
In 2012, pavement work history information was compiled for the thirty-three airports shown
below, and a PAVER™ database was created to store the collected information. These airports
represent 41.6 million square feet of pavement—the equivalent of a two-lane highway stretching
from Boston, Massachusetts to Syracuse, New York. This can be further broken down into 17.2
million square feet of runway pavement, 10.7 million square feet of taxiway pavement, 10.6 million
square feet of apron/helipad pavement, and 3.1 million square feet of T-hangar pavement. The
figure below further breaks down pavement area by both branch use and airport classification.
2013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2
Pavement Condition Assessment
PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX
The pavements were evaluated using the pavement condition index (PCI) procedure, documented
in FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5380-6B, Guidelines and Procedures for Maintenance of
Airport Pavements, and ASTM D5340, Standard Test Method for Airport Pavement Condition
Index Surveys. During a PCI survey, the types, severities, and amounts of distress present on
a pavement surface are quantified. This information is then used to develop a composite index
that represents the overall condition of the pavement in numerical terms, ranging from 0 (failed)
to 100 (excellent). The PCI is a measure of overall condition and is indicative of the level of work
that will be required to maintain or repair a pavement. Further, the distress information provides
insight into what is causing the pavement to deteriorate, which is the first step in selecting the
appropriate repair action.
Programmed into an APMS, PCI data are used to determine current pavement condition, predict
future pavement condition, and identify the most cost-effective repair type and timing of that
repair. The relationship between a pavement’s PCI and the typical type of repair recommended
for the pavement is shown in the figure below.
3
MASSACHUSETTS AIRPORT PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Pavement Condition Assessment
TYPICAL DISTRESS TYPES AT MASSACHUSETTS AIRPORTS
Following is a description of the most commonly observed pavement distresses at the
Massachusetts airports included in the project. The description is limited to asphalt-surfaced
pavements, because the majority of the airport infrastructure consists of this type of pavement.
ALLIGATOR CRACKING
Alligator cracking is a load-related distress caused by excessive tensile strains at
the bottom of the asphalt (AC) layer or stabilized asphalt base layer from repeated
aircraft loadings. It typically shows up on the surface as a series of parallel
cracks, which eventually interconnect to form a pattern resembling alligator skin.
BLOCK CRACKING
Block cracking generally appears over relatively large areas as a series of
cracks arranged in a pattern of square or rectangular blocks. It is caused by
shrinkage of the pavement over time and the repeated deformation caused by
daily temperature cycles. It is not a load-related distress, and its occurrence
usually indicates that the pavement has significantly hardened.
LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSE (L&T) CRACKING
L&T cracking can be caused by any of the following: 1) separation of pavement at
paving lane joints, 2) shrinkage of AC pavement due to temperature differentials
in older or brittle pavements, or 3) reflection cracking from underlying existing
cracking in overlaid pavements.
PATCHING AND UTILITY CUT PATCH
Patching is a localized repair of a distress. A patch is considered a defect, no
matter how well it is performing.
RAVELING
Raveling occurs as the coarse aggregate begins to dislodge and produce loose
pieces of material, posing a safety hazard as it may be ingested by aircraft
engines.
WEATHERING
Weathering is the wearing away of the asphalt binder and/or fine aggregate that
occurs as the asphalt pavement ages and hardens.
2013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
4
Pavement Condition Results
OVERALL PAVEMENT CONDITION
The area-weighted PCI (average PCI adjusted to account for the relative size of the pavement
sections) of the thirty-three airports is 70. The figure below shows the 2012 area-weighted
condition of the pavement broken out by airport classification.
5
MASSACHUSETTS AIRPORT PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Pavement Condition Results
PAVEMENT CONDITION DISTRIBUTION
The following figures show, in general, the level of work that is needed depending on pavement
condition. Approximately 51 percent of the pavements in the entire system of airports are at
the condition level where they will benefit from preventive maintenance actions, such as crack
sealing, joint sealing, patching, and surface treatments. Approximately 40 percent of the pavement
infrastructure at the thirty-three project airports is in need of more extensive rehabilitation, while
approximately 9 percent is in need of reconstruction to restore the pavement.
ENTIRE SYSTEM
9%
COMMERCIAL SERVICE/
SCHEDULED 3%
CHARTER
51%
COMMUNITY/BUSINESS
40%
16%
45%
52%
22%
62%
10%
19%
48%
50%
31%
ESSENTIAL/BUSINESS
42%
CORPORATE/BUSINESS
2013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
6
Needs Assessment
An M&R program was developed for the Massachusetts airports using the PAVER™ pavement
management software. The analysis was prepared for 6 years (2013 to 2018). An inflation rate
of 2.5 percent was applied when calculating the future cost of work.
CRITICAL PCI VALUES
For each year of the analysis, the future conditions of the pavements were estimated, and a
determination was made as to whether preventive maintenance or major rehabilitation/
reconstruction was the appropriate and most cost-effective strategy. The pavement was
recommended for preventive maintenance if a pavement was projected to be above a critical
PCI of 65 for aprons, T-hangars, and helipads; 70 for taxiways; and 75 for runways. Below these
critical PCI thresholds, major rehabilitation/reconstruction was recommended.
7
MASSACHUSETTS AIRPORT PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Needs Assessment
FUNDING LEVELS
At one extreme end of the scale where no funding is provided for pavement M&R, condition will
steadily decline at Massachusetts airports, with a forecasted system-wide PCI of 61 by the end
of 2018. This decrease would result in an increased need for major rehabilitation/reconstruction,
which in turn would substantially increase the costs to keep the pavement system in a safe and
serviceable condition.
At the other end of the scale, if all M&R projects identified were funded, an approximate total of
$166.8 million would be needed during the next 6 years: $61.0 million for commercial service/
scheduled charter airports, $78.7 million for corporate/business airports, $19.4 million for
community/business airports, and $7.6 million for essential/business airports. The funding needs
through 2018 for each airport under an unlimited budget are summarized in the table on the next
page. If all of the projects identified are completed at the time that they are recommended, a
resulting system-wide PCI of 89 is forecasted at the end of 2018.
Since the unlimited funding scenario is unrealistic from a budgetary standpoint, two additional
analyses were run to determine how much funding would be needed to a) maintain the pavement
system at its current level of an average PCI of 70 and b) increase the average PCI to 75. I“It was
estimated that approximately $16.4 million would be needed annually to achieve a PCI of 75 by
2018 and approximately $10.4 million annually to maintain the system PCI of 70.
100
90
80
Statewide Goal
PCI = 75
Area-Weighted PCI
70
60
50
Unlimited Funding
($166.8 M)
40
Achieve PCI of 75
($98.2 M)
30
Maintain Current
PCI of 70 ($62.3 M)
20
No Funding
10
0
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Analysis Year
2013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
8
Unlimited Funding Needs through 2018
Classification
Commercial
Service/
Scheduled
Charter
Corporate/
Business
Community/
Business
Essential/
Business
9
Name
2012 Area-Weighted PCI
Estimated Funding Needs
Barnstable Municipal Airport-Boardman/
68
Polando Field
Martha's Vineyard Airport
85
Nantucket Memorial Airport
77
New Bedford Regional Airport
60
Provincetown Municipal Airport
85
Westover Metropolitan Airport
76
Commercial Service/Scheduled Charter Total:
Beverly Municipal Airport
76
Fitchburg Municipal Airport
51
Harriman-and-West Airport
83
Lawrence Municipal Airport
61
Marshfield Municipal Airport-George
61
Harlow Field
Norwood Memorial Airport
82
Orange Municipal Airport
74
Pittsfield Municipal Airport
52
Plymouth Municipal Airport
76
Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport
69
Corporate/Business Total:
Chatham Municipal Airport
89
Falmouth Airpark
72
Mansfield Municipal Airport
77
Marlboro Airport
34
Minute Man Air Field
18
Northampton Airport
87
Southbridge Municipal Airport
66
Spencer Airport
7
Sterling Airport
61
Taunton Municipal Airport-King Field
83
Turners Falls Airport
80
Walter J. Koladza Airport
52
Community/Business Total:
Cranland Airport
90
Gardner Municipal Airport
61
Hopedale Industrial Park Airport
34
Plum Island Airport
33
Tanner-Hiller Airport
12
Essential/Business Total:
$ 22,593,647
MASSACHUSETTS AIRPORT PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
5,927,310
11,230,373
16,393,822
532,725
4,370,848
61,048,724
7,014,915
10,540,043
1,537,951
14,823,699
$
2,814,248
$ 4,504,832
$ 5,714,458
$ 9,313,133
$ 7,271,371
$ 15,196,334
$ 78,730,983
$
896,052
$
718,418
$ 2,208,023
$ 1,162,890
$ 2,796,736
$
343,368
$ 3,834,988
$
877,041
$ 1,774,335
$ 2,052,210
$ 1,331,951
$ 1,424,032
$ 19,425,046
$
169,029
$ 2,497,735
$ 2,690,174
$
843,648
$ 1,361,208
$ 7,561,795
Summary
IN SUMMARY
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Thirty-three airports are included in the Massachusetts APMS: six commercial service/
scheduled charter and twenty-seven general aviation airports.
The thirty-three airports have 41.6 million square feet of pavement—the equivalent of
a two-lane highway stretching from Boston, Massachusetts to Syracuse, New York.
This can be further broken down into 17.2 million square feet of runway pavement,
10.7 million square feet of taxiway pavement, 10.6 million square feet of apron/helipad
pavement, and 3.1 million square feet of T-hangar pavement.
The pavement system has an area-weighted PCI of 70. Approximately 51 percent
of the pavement area is at a condition level where preventive maintenance, such as
crack sealing, is a cost-effective approach to maintaining the pavement. However,
49 percent of the pavement area has deteriorated to the condition where major
rehabilitation or even reconstruction is needed.
If no funding for pavement M&R is provided, the overall area-weighted PCI of the
system will deteriorate to an estimated 61 by 2018.
If all the projects identified as needing pavement M&R are funded over the next 6
years, approximately $166.8 million will be needed: $61.0 million for commercial
service/scheduled charter airports and $105.7 million for general aviation airports.
To achieve an average PCI of 75 for the entire system by 2018, approximately $16.4
million annually is needed over the next 6 years.
To maintain the current average PCI of 70 for the entire system through 2018,
approximately $10.4 million annually is needed over the next 6 years.
2013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
10
MASSDOT AERONAUTICS DIVISION MISSION STATEMENT:
REPORT PREPARED BY:
Promote aviation throughout the
Hoyle, Tanner & Associates
Applied Pavement Technology, Inc.
Vaidya Consultants, Inc.
Commonwealth, while providing
an efficient integrated airport
system that will enhance airport
safety, economic development, and
environmental stewardship.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
MassDOT Aeronautics Division
Logan Office Center
One Harborside Drive
Suite 205N
East Boston, MA 02128-2909
617-412-3680
www.massdot.state.ma.us/aeronautics