Pavement Inspection

Overview

Pavement Condition Index (PCI) Survey Procedure

The inspections were conducted using the PCI survey procedure documented in the following publications:

  • FAA Advisory Circular 150/5380-6C, Guidelines and Procedures for Maintenance of Airport Pavements.
  • FAA Advisory Circular 150/5380-7B, Airports Pavement Management Program (PMP).
  • ASTM D5340-20, Standard Test Method for Airport Pavement Condition Index Surveys.

The PCI procedure is the standard used by the aviation industry to visually assess pavement condition, providing engineers with a consistent, objective, and repeatable tool to represent the overall pavement condition. During a PCI survey, visible signs of deterioration within a selected sample unit are recorded and analyzed, as are distress type, severity, and quantity.

The results of a PCI evaluation provide an indication of the structural integrity and functional capabilities of the pavement. However, it should be recognized that during a PCI inspection only the top layer of the pavement is examined and that no direct measure is made of the structural capacity of the pavement system. Nevertheless, the PCI does provide an objective basis for determining maintenance and repair needs as well as for establishing rehabilitation priorities in the face of constrained resources. Furthermore, the results of repeated PCI monitoring over time can be used to determine the rate of deterioration and to estimate the time at which certain rehabilitation measures can be implemented.

Visual Representation of PCIs

During a PCI inspection, inspectors identify signs of deterioration on the surface of the pavement. Pavement defects are characterized in terms of type of distress, severity level of distress, and amount of distress. This information is then used to develop a composite index (PCI) that represents the overall condition of the pavement in numerical terms, ranging from 0 (failed) to 100 (excellent). A visual representation of the PCI scale is illustrated in the table below.

Table 1. Visual representation of PCI Scale.
PCI AC Pavements PCC Pavements
95 This picture shows a close-up of an asphalt shoulder next to a PCC airport pavement. There is no visible distress in the asphalt shoulder. This picture shows an overview photo of a PCC airport pavement with many slabs visible. No distress is visible in any of the slabs.
75 This picture shows an overview photo of an asphalt airport pavement taken in the longitudinal direction. Visible distress in the photo are well sealed cracks at the longitudinal paving joints. This picture shows an overview photo of a PCC apron pavement. About sixteen slabs are visible in the photo. Visible distress includes a number of small joint spalls, and visible joint seal damage in some joints. Vegetation can be seen growing in one of the distant joints.
60 This picture shows an overview photo of an asphalt runway pavement. A single medium-severity transverse crack that extends across the entire width of the pavement is visible. This picture shows an overview of a PCC apron pavement. About ten slabs are visible in the photo. Mid-panel low- and medium-severity cracks are visible in three of the slabs in the photo.
40 This picture shows an overview of a large area of asphalt airport pavement. A large number of medium- to high-severity longitudinal and transverse cracks are visible in the photo. Many of them have visible vegetation growing in them. This picture shows an overview of a PCC taxiway. About 30 slabs are visible in the photo. About one third of the slabs show visible distress that includes joint spalls, corner breaks, and patching. 100 percent of the slabs show joint seal damage, with a lot of visible vegetation in the joints.
25 This picture shows an overview of an asphalt taxiway or runway pavement with a lot of visible longitudinal, transverse, and alligator cracking. Distress is visible over 50 percent of the area. This picture shows an overview of a PCC airport pavement. About 30 slabs are visible in the photo. The four slabs in the forefront of the photo show material-related distress over 100 percent of the slab area. Spalling within this area is noticeable along a longitudinal mid panel crack, and at the slab edges and corners.
5 This picture shows an overview of an asphalt taxiway pavement with visible distress over 100 percent of the pavement area. The majority of the visible distress include transverse cracks, longitudinal cracks, alligator cracking, and potholes. Vegetation is seen growing in many of the alligator cracking areas. This picture shows an overview of a PCC taxiway pavement. About 10 slabs are visible. All slabs in the photo contains distress. Visible distress types include high- and medium-severity mid-panel cracks, surface scaling, patches, and joint spalling.

Relationship to Repair Types

In general terms, pavements with relatively high PCIs that are not exhibiting significant load-related distress will benefit from preventive maintenance actions, such as crack sealing and surface treatments. As the PCI drops, the pavements may require major rehabilitation, such as an overlay. In some situations where the PCI has dropped low enough, reconstruction may be the only viable alternative due to the substantial damage to the pavement structure. The figure below illustrates how the appropriate repair type varies with the PCI of a pavement section.

This is an image of the PCI scale used for this project.
Figure 1. PCI scale.

The types of distress identified during the PCI inspection provide insight into the cause of pavement deterioration. PCI distress types are characterized as load-related (such as alligator cracking, corner breaks, and shattered slabs), climate/materials-related (such as weathering [climate-related] and durability cracking [materials-related]), and other (distress types that cannot be attributed solely to load or climate/materials). Understanding the cause of distress helps in selecting a rehabilitation alternative that corrects the cause and thus eliminates its recurrence.

The 'Causes of AC Distress' and 'Causes of PCC Distress' pages in this section provide a list of typical distress types identified during a PCI survey of each respective pavement type. In addition, they provide a brief description and likely cause of each typical distress type.