Alternate Launch and Recovery Surface Test Section, Design, Construction, and Evaluation, North Field, South Carolina.

The objective of this investigation was to design, construct, and evaluate two promising ALRS concepts for full-scale operations of the F-4 aircraft. After aircraft traffic was completed, test sections were trafficked to failure with loadcarts simulating maximum loaded F-4 and F-15 aircraft. Aircraft and pavement surface interaction were evaluated for a thin asphalt surfaced pavement and for unsurfaced stabilization soil pavement. Significant findings included: (1) an asphalt surface course thickness of 2 inches over a conventionally designed pavement will support 150 passes of the F-4 aircraft, (2) a surface course is required for stabilized soil structures, particularly in areas subjected to jet blast for the prevention of foreign object damage to engines, (3) deflection from the falling weight deflectometer can be used with a layered elastic model to predict performance of the pavement structures, and (4) the CBR design procedure should not be modified for the design of ALRS pavements.