A longtime user of Leica Geosystems’ products, Lamp, Rynearson & Associates (LRA), a civil engineering firm, is using the GS5+ GPS receiver and ESRI’s ArcPad mapping software to implement the first ever GPS/GIS-based pavement management system at Eppley Airfield (Omaha, Nebraska, USA), a commercial airfield. The Omaha Airport Authority (OAA) has contracted LRA to develop a custom solution that would allow them to quickly, accurately and efficiently maintain their pavement management system, which includes all airport runways, taxiways and aprons.

Based on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Pavement Condition Index (PCI), the LRA created a Codelist in the GS5+ that highlighted the main pavement attributes (asphalt cracks, concrete cracks, concrete joints, concrete spalls, etc.). With the GS5+ mounted on a truck, they collected the data (location and attributes) on all airport pavement defects. The data was then uploaded into ArcPad to map the defects and generate work orders.

Previously, the OAA simply marked the defects with paint. This method was not efficient, as they (OAA personnel) would have trouble finding the paint spots, determining which marks were fresh, and keeping track of work orders. LRA successfully implemented the pavement management system this year. They are now in the process of incorporating the database into ESRI’s ArcPad 6.