In a major milestone for aviation infrastructure, the initial round of underground sensors has been officially embedded into Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s (CLT) future Fourth Parallel Runway (Runway 1C-19C). Developed through a collaborative effort with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Aviation Innovation & Research Institute, the project will integrate nearly 2,000 embedded sensors to collect real-time pavement data and construct a live Digital Twin of the runway. Upon its commissioning next year, the Fourth Parallel will stand as the only modern, active, instrumented runway of its kind in the United States, generating critical insights that could revolutionize runway construction and maintenance standards nationwide.
Celebrating the achievement on site, UNCC Professor Tara Cavalline highlighted the hands-on learning opportunity for university students as well as the extensive teamwork required to bring the project to life. The complex installation involves widespread collaboration across academia, government, and industry, bringing together project leadership from the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center, Hi-Way Paving, Inc., BDI, RS&H, WALLS ENGINEERING, PLLC, Talbert, Bright & Ellington, and UNCC. With sensors active beneath the pavement surface, the data collected from this unique field laboratory promises to shape the future of airfield pavement design across the country.