A New Deflection Measuring System for Pavements in Spanish Airports Based on Laser Technology

The ENDCRE (Non-Destructive Test of Repetitive Static Loads) system, owned by Aena, has proven to be a very useful tool for determining the bearing capacity of pavements and for determining the Pavement Classification Number (PCN) for more than ten years of operation in Spanish airports. However, the disadvantages of using a reference beam for the sensors carried to investigate a new system which could measure deflections in pavements without that element and improved the present performances. The result of the search for new devices was the identification of the laser technology as the most suitable solution. The purpose of this paper is to explain the design and implementation processes of the new measuring system. For the covering abstract see ITRD E118503.