Presented by:

Monique FUERI

Director Operational Performance

ACN/PCN module in PEP

 AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Content

ACN/PCN method

ACN determination

ACN/PCN PEP module

Conclusion

 AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Content

ACN/PCN method

ACN determination

ACN/PCN PEP module

Conclusion

ACN/PCN method
Aim:
Considering

a runway with a given bearing strength, can a

given aircraft with a given load operate on this runway
without damaging the pavement ?

Numerous methods developed:

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44

methods in USA in the 80s

1982: ACN/PCN method developed by ICAO

Former official ICAO method: LCN (Load Classification
Number) still sometimes used.

ACN/PCN method
Pavement Classification number:

The PCN expresses the bearing capacity of a pavement for

unlimited operation

The PCN is provided by airport authorities

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

The PCN is qualified by:

Pavement

type
Subgrade strength category
Tire pressure category
Pavement calculation method

ACN/PCN method
Pavement Classification Number:

The PCN expresses the bearing capacity of a pavement for

unlimited operation

The PCN is provided by airport authorities

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

The PCN is qualified by:

Pavement

type
Subgrade strength category
Tire pressure category
Pavement calculation method

Pavement
Pavementtype
type
RR::rigid
rigid
FF::flexible
flexible

ACN/PCN method
Pavement Classification Number:

The PCN expresses the bearing capacity of a pavement for

unlimited operation

The PCN is provided by airport authorities

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

The PCN is qualified by:

Pavement

type
Subgrade strength category
Tire pressure category
Pavement calculation method

Subgrade
Subgradestrength
strengthcategory
category
AA::high
high
BB::medium
medium
CC::low
low
DD::ultra
ultralow
low

ACN/PCN method
Pavement Classification Number:

The PCN expresses the bearing capacity of a pavement for

unlimited operation

The PCN is

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

The PCN is

Tire
Tirepressure
pressurecategory
category
(maximum
(maximumpermissible
permissibletire
tirepressure)
pressure)
provided by airport W
authorities
W::no
nolimit
limit
XX::to
to1.5
1.5MPa
MPa
YY::to
to1.0
1.0MPa
MPa
ZZ::to
to0.5
0.5MPa
MPa
qualified by:

Pavement

type
Subgrade strength category
Tire pressure category
Pavement calculation method

ACN/PCN method
Pavement Classification Number:

The PCN expresses the bearing capacity of a pavement for

unlimited operation

The PCN is provided by airport authorities

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

The PCN is qualified by:

Pavement

type
Subgrade strength category
Tire pressure category
Pavement calculation method

Pavement
Pavementcalculation
calculationmethod
method
TT::technical
technical
UU::using
usinga/c
a/cexperience
experience

ACN/PCN method

Example :

PCN 58 R / B / W / T

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The bearing capacity of a rigid pavement resting

on a foundation of medium strength has given,
by technical assessment, a PCN = 58.
There is no tire pressure restriction.

ACN/PCN method
Aircraft Classification number:

The ACN expresses the relative effect of an aircraft on a

pavement for a specified standard subgrade

ACN depends on aircraft parameters and runway

parameters:

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Aircraft

parameters:
weight, C.G. position,landing gear geometry (twin gear or
bogie), tire pressure

Runway

parameters:
pavement type, subgrade category

ACN/PCN method
Unrestricted operation if ACN is less or equal to PCN
Overload operation is possible depending on country and
airport policy.

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

ICAO

rule for overload operations:

10% PCN margin for flexible pavements

5% PCN margin for rigid pavements
Annual number of overload movements less than 5% of total
annual movements

ACN determination
ACN for Airbus aircraft can be determined using the

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning Manual

 AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Content

ACN/PCN method

ACN determination

ACN/PCN PEP module

Conclusion

 AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

ACN determination

 AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

ACN determination

 AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Content

ACN/PCN method

ACN determination

ACN/PCN PEP module

Conclusion

ACN/PCN PEP module

With the increasing number of Airbus aircraft and Airbus
operators, more and more destinations have low strength
runways.

Runway loading aspects start playing an important role in

landing fee determination.

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

ACN determination with the curves presently published

may be fastidious and lead to errors.

ACN/PCN PEP module

New PEP module: ACN and LCN calculation
ACN/PCN

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

ACN/PCN method
Runway
Calculation
LCN
method

A
R
D

T
F

ACN/PCN PEP module

Compute ACN and LCN for every pavement type for given
aircraft data

Compute maximum aircraft weight for a given runway

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Possibility to introduce the PCN value of each runway in

the airport database managed by the airport manager is
being studied

Provide a graphical output: ACN function of aircraft C.G. for

a given pavement type

ACN/PCN PEP module

Center of Gravity Position Influence

ACNs defined
at MRW and
max aft CG

A330-200 ACN's Flex Cat. B

250 15

20

25

30

35

40

ACN 65 F/B
230

MTOW 230 000 kg

ACN 60 F/B
ACN 55 F/B

210

ACN 50 F/B
190

ACN 45 F/B

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170

150

MLW 182 000 kg

MZFW 170 000 kg

ACN 40 F/B

ACN 35 F/B
<-- Flight

130

ACN 30 F/B
<-- Take-Off & Landing

Landing -->

Flight -->
Take-Off -->
110

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Tires 1400x530R23 PR36

Tire Pressure (loaded): 14.2bar (206psi)
max
45aft CG Position: 37.5% MAC
Max Taxi Weight: 230.9t

Same ACN but several tons of Payload/Fuel difference

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Content

ACN/PCN method

ACN determination

ACN/PCN PEP module

Conclusion

Conclusion
New ACN/PCN module will be fully integrated in the PEP
user-friendly interface

It will allow:
computation of a given aircraft
Maximum aircraft weight for a given runway
LCN computation
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ACN

Availability: mid-2008