ABSTRACT
Reporting of airfield pavement bearing capacity has always been an important task in airport engineering as it supports the decision making process needed for airport pavement management systems. Currently, the Aircraft Classification Number-Pavement Classification Number (ACN-PCN) system is often utilized worldwide as the official reporting system for the bearing capacity of airfield pavements. This practical tool can be very useful, especially in cases where limited resources have been dedicated to the assessment of the condition of airfield pavements regarding bearing capacity issues. However, it has been well documented that the implementation of this system also has certain problems. In particular the development of multiple methods worldwide for determining the PCN value of a pavement has as a major consequence that the PCN value cannot be uniquely defined, which is a critical issue. The current investigation aims to shed light on the reasons that lead to such issues and to provide useful commentary and remarks for airport authorities who would like to implement the ACN-PCN method to its full extent.
