UFC 3-260-03
15 Apr 01
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1. PURPOSE. This document presents criteria for evaluation of the load-carrying capacity of pave-
ments used (or to be used) for the support of aircraft. An evaluation is conducted to assess the allowable
traffic that a pavement can sustain for given loading conditions or the allowable load for a given amount of
traffic without producing unexpected or uncontrolled distress.
2. SCOPE. This document is for use in evaluating Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps Airfields
and Heliports and is applicable to conventional-type pavements. The procedures presented include direct
sampling and nondestructive testing techniques. The document also describes computer programs that
can be used for pavement evaluation.
3.
REFERENCES. Appendix A contains a list of references used in this manual.
4. UNITS OF MEASUREMENT. The unit of measurement in this document is the International System
of Units (SI). In some cases, inch-pound (IP) measurements may be the governing critical values
because of applicable codes, accepted standards, industry practices, or other considerations. Where the
IP measurements govern, the IP value may be shown in parenthesis following a comparative SI value or
the IP values may be shown without a corresponding SI value. Chapter 4 contains several regression
equations which are not available in SI units, and therefore the units for the equations in that chapter
remain as English units.
5.
TYPES OF PAVEMENT. The types of pavement considered in this manual are as follows:
a. Flexible Pavement. A pavement with a bituminous surface course and one or more supporting
base or subbase courses placed over a prepared subgrade.
b. Plain Concrete Pavement. A single thickness of nonreinforced portland cement concrete resting
directly on a prepared subgrade, granular base course, or stabilized layer.
c. Rigid Overlay on Rigid Pavement. A rigid overlay pavement that has been placed on an existing
rigid pavement. In the construction of the rigid overlay, a bond-breaking course may or may not have
been placed on the existing rigid pavement before the overlay was placed. If the bond-breaking course
between the two rigid pavements is 102 millimeters (4 inches) or more in thickness, the entire pavement is
considered to be a composite pavement (subparagraph f below).
d. Nonrigid Overlay on Rigid Pavement. A bituminous concrete or combination of bituminous
concrete and granular base course that has been placed on an existing rigid pavement.
e. Rigid Overlay on Nonrigid Pavement. A rigid overlay pavement that has been placed on an
existing nonrigid pavement.
f. Composite Pavement. A "sandwich pavement" consisting of a rigid overlay placed on an existing
pavement that consists of a nonrigid overlay on a rigid pavement. The nonrigid overlay may be
bituminous concrete for its full depth or a combination of bituminous concrete and granular base course.
When the thickness of the nonrigid overlay is less than 102 millimeters (4 inches), the entire pavement will
be treated as a rigid overlay on rigid pavement and the nonrigid material will be considered to be a bond-
breaking course.
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