CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte Douglas International Airport and UNC Charlotte’s Aviation and Innovation Research Institute are steering the future of airport runways. Tara Cavalline, director of the Charlotte AIR Institute and professor in the William States Lee College of Engineering, leads the joint research program between the airport and the university.

In the only project of its kind in the nation, the teams will study aviation infrastructure from the inside of the runway itself.

The study focuses on a runway currently under construction at CLT between and parallel to runways 2 and 3. High-sensitivity instruments, or sensors, will be embedded into the concrete as it is poured. The data feed from those sensors will reveal how the material behaves in real time and over the long term. Stakeholders will gain insight into pavement responses to environmental stressors and aircraft movements.

The airport will use the data for day-to-day operational analysis and maintenance needs, such as de-icing decisions.

“It costs quite a bit to de-ice a runway,” Cavalline said. “Currently, the decision relies on people walking outside to visually and physically assess the status. With the insights from this project, we will have data about moisture, temperature and ice to more accurately inform decisions. This will increase safety and decrease inefficiencies for the airport and travelers.”

Advanced modeling, such as digital twinning, will be a primary benefit for the stakeholders of the project. A digital twin — a virtual replica of the runway — enables dynamic testing capabilities, advanced knowledge of changes in the concrete, insight to the ground beneath the pavement and more.

The instrumentation and modeling of the runway is one of the airport’s most significant capital projects, said Jack Christine, chief infrastructure officer at CLT.

“This instrumentation and digital-twin project grew out of a strong partnership with UNC Charlotte, where the airport serves as a living laboratory for students,” said Christine. “By incorporating advanced technologies and innovative solutions, we’re enhancing how we design, build and operate our facilities. Safety is and will always be our top priority, and this collaboration supports our ongoing commitment to modernizing airport infrastructure. It reflects what can be achieved when working closely with Charlotte’s research university to turn innovation and research into real-world, cutting-edge results.”

John Daniels, the University’s vice chancellor for research and a fellow researcher on the project, said the partnership establishes Charlotte as a leader of airport infrastructure innovation.