Digital Twin Paves the Way for Smarter Runway
When CLT’s Fourth Parallel Runway opens in fall 2027, it will not only enable more flights in and out of Charlotte but also serve as an innovative “living-learning laboratory"—and the only modern, active, instrumented runway in the U.S. Think of it as a “smart runway.”
Beginning in June, approximately 2,000 sensors will be embedded and integrated at various levels, both above and below the surface, primarily at the northern end of the new Runway 1C-19C, to collect data that will help the Airport make real-time maintenance, operational and safety decisions.
Creating a “Smart Runway”
The project will support the development of a “Digital Twin,” creating a virtual replica of conditions along the new 10,000-foot-by-150-foot runway, enabling predictive pavement management for this critical infrastructure.
The new Fourth Parallel will be 18 inches deep, with 129,000 tons of asphalt and 672,000 square yards of concrete pavement (almost twice the size of the infield at Lowe’s Motor Speedway).
“We had to do a risk assessment to say, ‘Do we feel comfortable enough in the technology?’” said CLT Director of Engineering Ashton Watson. “And the good news is these sensors have been used on highway bridges and interstates all around the country. They have done instrumentation and embedded these sensors and had good results with no long-term maintenance issues.”
The sensors—most about the size of a cell phone—will continuously collect data and track movements as aircraft taxi, take off and land. The devices will identify conditions such as pavement stress and strain, moisture, settlement, friction and even snow and ice to assist in decision-making for activities like deicing.
“The environment of a runway deals with a lot of extremes, with temperatures around zero at some points of the year and then heavy amounts of moisture,” added Watson. “These (sensors) will provide some predictive information for real-time decisions on whether to deploy chemicals or equipment to treat the runway.”
Topside cameras will also provide a video feed to Airport operations and enhance pavement analytics, such as verifying aircraft types and weights. (Typical aircraft taxiing at CLT can weigh between 100,000 pounds and up to approximately 700,000 pounds for a Boeing 777.)
“A runway is valuable to us, and to the air carriers, so you want an asset that is going to stand the test of time,” said Watson. “The carriers want reliable, safe and heavily maintained pavement to operate their airplanes on, and this will help CLT make informed maintenance decisions about how the concrete is performing.”
Watson says it’s no different than preventive maintenance in a home. “If you can stay ahead of it, it is going to save you a lot of money in the long run.”
Cost & Research
The approximately $6.5 million Digital Twin project is a collaboration between CLT and the UNC Charlotte Aviation Innovation & Research (AIR) Institute – a partnership between CLT, UNC Charlotte’s William States Lee College of Engineering and the Sullenberger Aviation Museum.
The project is funded with a combination of grants, committed support and in-kind contributions.
CLT leaders and the University brought the idea to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and its Airport Concrete Pavement Technology Program (ACPTP), which awarded a $2 million grant because the project aligns with the program's research needs to advance understanding of pavement performance.
Dr. Tara Cavalline, Professor and Director of the Charlotte AIR Institute, is leading the research.
“Students will be helping us throughout the project,” said Dr. Cavalline. “We expect them to be engaged with our contractors, learning the ins and outs of putting in this type of instrumentation, and what it takes to get the communication and power tied in. They will then work with our faculty to analyze the data obtained from the real-time dashboard and the data archived for research use.”
A Decade of Data
The runway sensors are designed to collect data for about a decade before their anticipated lifespans end. The results could eventually transform standards for aviation pavement construction and maintenance, as well as other FAA and North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) infrastructure projects.
“These pavements are designed to get 30 to 40 years out of them, and there’s a lot of theoretical inputs that go into how thick the concrete is, how dense the concrete is, how much cement, how much stone, how much sand and how much water that goes into the mixing of the concrete,” said Watson.
“So, when the next runway is built five years from now somewhere in the country, the FAA may say, ‘This is the new specification. We’ve updated it because of all this information from the data sensors at CLT.’ That’s the kind of industry-wide impact this effort can have.”