Airfield concrete pavement restoration

This paper discusses the identification of major distress of an airfield concrete pavement and selection of the appropriate repair techniques that will both correct the problem as well as prevent re-occurrence. Emphasis is on maintaining foreign object damage (FOD) free paved surfaces that will. adequately and safely carry the airfield traffic. Starting with "condition survey" it walks the airfield maintenance manager through the logical steps to restore and maintain a high service level from his airfield pavement. Beginning with distress survey and strategy selection, nine basic repair strategies are defined along with information on why they are necessary and when they need to be performed. Concrete Pavement Restoration (CPR) is the non overlay option for controlling the rate of deterioration of concrete pavement. Slab-jacking; slab stabilization; full depth repair; partial depth repair; load transfer restoration; crack repair; diamond grinding; joint resealing; and skid resistance restoration are all discussed. Both functional and structural distress are discussed and the appropriate repair technique/s are matched to the specific distress level. CPR is a cost-effective strategy to maintain a high (FOD free) service level for airfield pavement, often extending the useful service life well beyond the original intended design life. The author speaks from extensive contracting and consulting experience, with a continuous career in concrete pavement restoration for thirty nine years.