EVALUATION OF PCN AND PCR PARAMETERS FOR UNPAVED AERODROMES

Abstract

About 72% of the runways registered in DECEA do not have a coating layer, and even so the ACN/PCN and ACR/PCR methods, which are parameters that indicate the bearing capacity and are mandatory for aircraft weighing more than 5700Kg, are applicable only to paved aerodromes. Considering that there are aircraft able to operate on unpaved runways that exceed this weight limit, and given the economic viability of the construction of unpaved aerodromes, this research aims to evaluate the application of these parameters in unpaved aerodromes. The objective is to compare the difference in bearing capacity, layer thicknesses and materials used, as well as the CDF obtained, for flooring with and without coating in both methods. For this, an experimental applied research was carried out, in which aircraft capable of operating on unpaved runways were selected, and thus the dimensioning of pavements with and without coating in an aerodrome located in the region of the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri valleys in Minas Gerais, through the COMFAA 3.0 and FAARFIELD 2.0 software. In view of the data obtained, it is verified that the PCN and PCR values for both situations were similar for each aircraft, with small variations. In addition, the thickness and the need to use the subbase are influenced by the presence or absence of coating, as well as the weight of the aircraft. The thickness of the base layer, for the most part, presented values close to 150mm, with slight variations. The possibility of not using a coating layer proved to be an effective strategy to reduce execution costs, ensuring the runway's bearing capacity, especially for small aircraft such as the Pilatus PC-24.