A Machine Learning Approach to Determine Airport Asphalt Concrete Layer Moduli Using Heavy Weight Deflectometer Data

Nicola Baldo, Matteo Miani, Fabio Rondinella and Clara Celauro
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Nicola Baldo: Polytechnic Department of Engineering and Architecture (DPIA), University of Udine, Via del Cotonificio 114, 33100 Udine, Italy
Matteo Miani: Polytechnic Department of Engineering and Architecture (DPIA), University of Udine, Via del Cotonificio 114, 33100 Udine, Italy
Fabio Rondinella: Polytechnic Department of Engineering and Architecture (DPIA), University of Udine, Via del Cotonificio 114, 33100 Udine, Italy
Clara Celauro: Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 8, 90128 Palermo, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-17

Abstract: An integrated approach based on machine learning and data augmentation techniques has been developed in order to predict the stiffness modulus of the asphalt concrete layer of an airport runway, from data acquired with a heavy weight deflectometer (HWD). The predictive model relies on a shallow neural network (SNN) trained with the results of a backcalculation, by means of a data augmentation method and can produce estimations of the stiffness modulus even at runway points not yet sampled. The Bayesian regularization algorithm was used for training of the feedforward backpropagation SNN, and a k-fold cross-validation procedure was implemented for a fair performance evaluation. The testing phase result concerning the stiffness modulus prediction was characterized by a coefficient of correlation equal to 0.9864 demonstrating that the proposed neural approach is fully reliable for performance evaluation of airfield pavements or any other paved area. Such a performance prediction model can play a crucial role in airport pavement management systems (APMS), allowing the maintenance budget to be optimized.

Keywords: runway; heavy weight deflectometer; stiffness modulus; maintenance; shallow neural network; machine learning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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