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Pavement Condition Index

To Access the State’s Pavement Condition Index Interactive Database:

 

Understanding North Dakota’s Airport Pavement Database

Pavement represents the largest infrastructure investment at North Dakota’s airports. Maintaining this investment in good condition over time is essential to the long-term health and safety of the state’s aviation system.

To support this goal, the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission conducts a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) Study every three years at all paved public airports. This study promotes consistency across the state and provides valuable data for both statewide airport planning and individual airport decision-making.

Each airport receives a PCI score ranging from 0 to 100, categorized as follows:

  • Adequate (100–70)

  • Degraded (69–55)

  • Unsatisfactory (54–0)

These scores help airports identify high-priority maintenance and rehabilitation projects and assist in budgeting and planning efforts. North Dakota has relied on PCI data for pavement management since the 1980s, with the most recent study conducted in 2015.

A major enhancement to this effort is our interactive online platform. This tool includes a timeline feature for each airport, allowing users to view projected pavement conditions into the future—assuming no maintenance is performed. This forward-looking capability provides a powerful resource for planning and infrastructure stewardship.

In response to new federal requirements and growing air traffic in the state, the Commission has also included Pavement Classification Rating (PCR) data for commercial service airport runways. This information ensures compatibility with the Aircraft Classification Rating (ACR) of operating aircraft. Safe operations require the PCR to exceed the ACR, helping to preserve runway strength and longevity. Additional PCR/ACR details for North Dakota’s commercial airports are available on the website.

The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission is proud to offer this innovative and transparent pavement database. We encourage all stakeholders and members of the public to explore this valuable resource as we continue working together to preserve and enhance North Dakota’s aviation infrastructure.

Airport Pavement History Update

In North Dakota, a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) Study is conducted every three years. To ensure the accuracy and value of this study, up-to-date records of each airport’s pavement history are essential.

To improve the efficiency and accuracy of data collection, the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission has introduced a Pavement History Form. Rather than requesting pavement history updates from airports and consultants only once every three years, we are now asking that these updates be submitted as projects are completed. This approach will help us maintain a “live” record of pavement information for each airport.

If your airport has recently completed a maintenance or new construction project, please have the Pavement History Update Form filled out by you or your airport engineer and submitted to our office.

Thank you for helping us maintain accurate and timely information to support the continued health of North Dakota’s airport infrastructure.

Download the Pavement History Update Form.

 

View a tutorial video of the 2021 PCI Web interface below.