Best Practices Manual for Airport Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Construction

A study was recently completed to develop the "Best Practices Manual for Airport Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Construction" that can be used by all segments of the airport construction industry to construct cost-effective, long-lasting PCC airport pavements. The manual presents construction and inspection practices that are accepted by the industry as practices that produce quality concrete pavements and lead to long-term pavement performance. The manual is not a construction specification guide nor does it provide detailed instructions on conducting specific construction-related activities. Items covered in the manual include pre-construction activities, grade preparation, base and subbase construction, concrete mixture design and concrete plant issues, concrete placement, joint sawing and sealing, and quality control/quality assurance requirements. Implementation of best practices for construction of airport concrete pavements may have cost implications and these costs may vary from region to region because of availability of local materials. Therefore, airport owners, design engineers, and contractors need to work together to achieve a proper balance between total project cost and expected pavement performance.