A Decision Making Framework for Condition Evaluation of Airfield Pavements Using Non-Destructive Testing

The rapid growth in transportation sector demands compatible infrastructure for its sustenance. This is offered by a long-lasting highway and airfield pavement network. However, these pavements start deteriorating soon after their construction, the degree of which depends on the rate of application of loading and prevailing climatic conditions. This calls for a need for continual assessment of their structural and functional capacity, to plan for their repair or rehabilitation alternatives. In this work, a case study on pavement condition evaluation of runway located at an international airport is conducted. The runway pavement being in deteriorated condition has been divided into six sections which are rated and prioritized for maintenance and repair (M&R) needs. Their condition has been evaluated on the basis of four decision criteria, using the opinion of experts. This task has been fulfilled by using two multi-criteria decision-making techniques, namely analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy inference tool. A combination of visual surveys, heavy weight deflectometer tests, and ground-penetrating radar scans provide the essential structural capacity data for carrying out the analyses. The ranking obtained from both the techniques slightly varies due to the inherent difference in their approaches. However, the sections with least and maximum priority are concluded to be similar from both the analyses. This prioritization methodology offers a systematic approach to planners and decision authorities for selecting optimum M&R strategies.