Detecting interlayer delamination in asphalt airport pavements using strain gage instrumentation systems

Abstract

Slippage failures can be found in asphalt airport pavement areas where aircraft brake and turn, such as high-speed exits, as a result of high surface shear forces. At the intersection of Runway 4R-22L and High-Speed Taxiway N (HST-N) at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), interlayer delamination was determined to be the cause of slippage failure. In 2012, an asphalt strain gage system developed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF) was installed to detect the delamination. Delamination was successfully detected by the instrumentation installed at EWR Runway 4R-22L near the intersection of HST-N, by identifying large discrepancies in strain responses between gages installed in the upper and lower layers of pavement. Strain responses are shown to be affected by aircraft speed, temperature at the interface, and time, while statistical analysis confirms that the delamination measurements used are significant.