CDA ORD and MDW Airport Pavement Management Services – Cook County, Illinois

The pavement network at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Midway International Airport (MDW) is a critical component of safe, efficient, and reliable air travel. Supporting runways, taxiways, aprons, service roads, and parking areas, both inside and outside airfield perimeters, these pavements carry immense operational and economic significance. The project provides comprehensive pavement management services to assess conditions, plan maintenance, and extend the life of this vital infrastructure, ensuring that Chicago’s airports continue to operate at peak performance.

Ensuring Pavement Reliability
DB Sterlin conducts detailed field inspections every three years, evaluating both airside and landside pavements for cracking, rutting, and other signs of deterioration. These assessments provide accurate, actionable data on pavement condition, enabling informed planning for maintenance, rehabilitation, and capital investment projects. By monitoring pavement health proactively, the program helps prevent operational disruptions and maintains high safety standards across the airport network.

Advanced Tools for Strategic Planning
The project leverages cutting-edge pavement management tools, including MicroPAVER and ArcGIS, to analyze conditions and predict future maintenance needs. MicroPAVER assigns Pavement Condition Index (PCI) ratings from 0 to 100 for each pavement segment, creating a consistent and measurable basis for evaluating infrastructure health. ArcGIS visualizes these conditions across the entire airport network, while AutoCAD is used to update Network Definition Maps and PCI Maps. This integration of technology and data ensures that maintenance priorities are clearly identified and efficiently managed.

Developing a Long-Term Capital Improvement Program
Inspection and condition analysis feed directly into a ten-year Capital Improvement Program for both ORD and MDW. This program identifies and prioritizes maintenance and rehabilitation projects, allowing the Chicago Department of Aviation to optimize lifecycle costs, plan for future traffic growth, and maintain continuous operational readiness. By combining predictive modeling with field-based assessment, DB Sterlin ensures that airport pavements remain safe, resilient, and capable of supporting increasing aviation demands.

Engineering for the Future
MicroPAVER, originally developed for the U.S. Department of Defense, remains a cornerstone of modern pavement management. DB Sterlin integrates this system with detailed inspections and GIS mapping to provide actionable insights, preserve pavement integrity, extend service life, and minimize operational disruptions. The program’s forward-looking approach ensures that ORD and MDW can continue serving millions of passengers and thousands of aircraft movements every year.

Built to Last
The CDA ORD and MDW Airport Pavement Management Services project exemplifies a proactive approach to infrastructure preservation. By combining advanced engineering, innovative tools, and strategic planning, DB Sterlin helps maintain a resilient airport pavement network that meets current operational demands while preparing for decades of future use.