Verificação do impacto da alteração do fluxo de aeronaves na classificação ACR/PCR de aeroportos

Abstract

The ACR/PCR (Aircraft Classification Rating / Pavement Classification Rating) structural classification method for airport pavements, adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is based on an empirical– mechanistic approach that considers the structural response of the pavement to the repeated action of aircraft traffic. Unlike the ACN/PCN method, ACR/PCR incorporates the influence of aircraft traffic flow, annual operation volume, and the structural characteristics of the pavement, making the assessment of structural capacity dependent on the traffic flow configuration. In this context, understanding the impact of variations in aircraft traffic flow on pavement classification is essential for the proper management of airport infrastructure. The objective of this study is to analyze whether the combination and variation of annual aircraft traffic flow influence the ACR/PCR classification applied to flexible airport pavements. To this end, runway pavements from nine Brazilian airports were evaluated, considering different structural configurations and distinct traffic levels. The analyses were performed using the FAARFIELD software, in which different aircraft traffic flow scenarios and annual operation volumes were simulated, allowing the determination of ACR/PCR values. The results indicate that the ACR/PCR classification is sensitive to both variations in traffic volume and the composition of the aircraft flow, with a direct linear relationship observed between the increase in annual traffic and the final PCR values. It was verified that changes in aircraft flow composition can produce impacts on structural classification, even for similar total traffic volumes. Additionally, a mathematical model based on artificial machine learning was developed to estimate the ACR/PCR classification from the structural properties of the pavement and the aircraft traffic flow, presenting results consistent with those obtained from the software and demonstrating, within the formulation of the method, the influence of traffic increases on the reduction of pavement classification. It is concluded that the ACR/PCR classification method provides a consistent representation of the structural behavior of airport pavements when associated with a careful analysis of aircraft traffic flow. However, the dependence of the classification on traffic flow composition reinforces the need for detailed studies to understand whether the classification is primarily impacted by the critical aircraft or by the overall aircraft traffic volume.