Predicting airport pavement performance: Bridging advanced modeling, legacy data and field serviceability
By Dan Offenbacker on 09/10/2026 from 2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. in 1611 Titan Dr., Rantoul, IL 61866
Join Dan Offenbacker, program manager at the Federal Aviation Administration, as he presents via Zoom at the Fall 2026 Kent Seminar Series on Thursday, September 10, from 2:00-2:50 p.m. (CT).
The Fall 2026 Kent Seminar will explore advances in transportation engineering modeling. The 13-speaker series will begin August 27 and end November 19.
Pizza and soft drinks will be provided beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the ICT Classroom.
All presentations will be held on Zoom, but some speakers will present in person at ICT.
Join Zoom Webinar:
https://illinois.zoom.us/j/81698798883?pwd=dlHgbqirs442ZcdQJoP4bhbeE1mqOq.1
Webinar ID: 816 9879 8883
Passcode: 664625
Abstract and Bio
Mechanistic-empirical airport pavement performance modeling combines mechanistic analysis with statistical transfer functions derived from historical full-scale test data. Advances in mechanistic modeling and machine learning can account for increasingly complex material properties and pavement behavior, but their use is constrained by legacy calibration datasets that lack these inputs. In addition, theoretical failure predictions based on pavement responses do not always align with operational serviceability triggers such as friction loss and foreign object debris generation. This presentation explores FAA strategies for reconciling advanced mechanistic models with legacy data and operational considerations to improve airport pavement life predictions.
Offenbacker is a program manager with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Technology Research and Development Branch. He earned a doctorate in engineering from Rowan University and is a licensed civil engineer in Delaware. He oversees the FAA’s airport pavement design research program and the development of FAARFIELD, the agency’s pavement design software. His research interests include pavement design strategies, structural response modeling, reliability assessment, field instrumentation and full-scale pavement testing.