Assigning PCR to a pavement using PAVERS

The method of PCR evaluation is left up to the airport. ICAO recommends to relate PCR to the pavement life and to tie it to the annual volume of traffic, implying a pavement to have a variable PCR as a function of the desired structural pavement life. A sound relation with pavement life is obtained by adopting mechanistic design/evaluation systems with criteria that appear to be yielding reasonable results. Many of these procedures are based on linear, elastic theory coupled with empirical relationships for relating computed stress/strain to allowable aircraft load. This approach is well understood and well documented. The elastic layer mechanistic/empirical methods are also very adaptable to new criteria. For example, it is not very difficult to add/remove/modify the criteria (fatigue relationships or transfer functions). This makes it attractive since results from continuing research and development could be incorporated as necessary.

Implementation of calibrated design criteria into modern software tool such as PAVERS allow the designer to access the full advantages of the layered elastic method, including treatment of wander, and quickly produce PCR-numbers that are consistent with the original design concept. The Pavers concept is equipped to calculate PCR-numbers. A summary list of the steps required for PCR-assignment as based on the Technical evaluation method using the PAVERS program is explained in full detail.