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New Zealand Airfield Pavement Surface Types – Evaluation, Design, Maintenance and Rehabilitation
John MarshGeneral Manager Airports, Beca Infrastructure Ltd
2010 FAA Worldwide Airport Technology Transfer Conference
April 20th 2010
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Beca Group
Multi disciplinary engineering and management consultancy
Founded in 1917
2,500 employees
Main groups in New Zealand, Australia and Asia
Proud history of successful airport projects since the 1970’s
Over 70 focused and dedicated airport experts
Current major projects in Auckland, Christchurch, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, American Samoa, Marshall Islands and various Defence airfields
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New Zealand
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New Zealand
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New Zealand
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New Zealand
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New Zealand
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New Zealand
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Facts and Figures Population 4 million
7 international airports, plus many smaller regional ports
Auckland– 13 million PAX– 156,000 movements
Christchurch– 6 million PAX– 136,000 movements
Wellington– 5.5 million PAX– 112,000 movements
Variety of aircraft from A380 and B777 to small turboprops and GA
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Pavement Surfacing Types
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Pavement Maintenance Issues
Predominantly flexible asphalt pavements other than concrete at Auckland Airport
Usual range of issues with weathering, ageing, fatigue cracking, bleeding and stripping, groove closure, rutting, fuel damage, concrete spalling and fatigue
Challenges of weather extremes from sub- tropical in the north to cooler temperate and alpine conditions in the south
Range of airfield pavement management systems adopted, from simple inspections to more rigorous pavement management systems
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Innovation and Sustainability
Lower population and associated economic challenges has led to a culture of innovation and sustainability
Material recycling– Crushed concrete
– (RAP) Recycled asphalt pavement
– Other fillers considered
Lower grade aggregates– Stabilisation with cement, lime and bitumen
– Used in low importance pavements or base layers
Innovative solutions to construction e.g. slab removal Low energy asphalt mixes
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Auckland Airport: Concrete Technology
Auckland Airport has over 13 million passengers per year
Concrete pavements originally constructed in the 1960’s
Single Runway 05/23 3,635m (11,925’) long
By the early 1990’s pavements exhibiting fatigue cracks and spalling
Areas of slab replacement completed under displaced threshold
Critical central portion needed a new solution
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Auckland Airport
Main Runway 23L-05R
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Epoxy Underslab Injection
Methodology developed to form a stiff beam along each free edge of the cracked slab to delay the time until further deterioration
Challenges with open graded scoria subbasecourse
Laboratory trials, dynamic trials and full scale test strips
Deflections reduced by approximately 15%
Over 1,000 slabs have now been injected
>90% success rate
10 year extension until eventual slab replacement required
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Epoxy Underslab Injection
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Epoxy Underslab Injection
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Expedient Slab Removal
Modified mining loaders
Customised forks
Cutting and lifting slabs
Less noise and debris
600% productivity gains
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Expedient Slab Removal
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Concrete Thermal Monitoring
Research project to determine cumulative temperature hours to develop required flexural strengths
Laboratory testing programme
Concluded insitu 2000 ºC-hours would be sufficient to develop >4.8MPa (700psi)
Monitoring during construction demonstrated required strength achieved in 48 hours
Early opening of the runway reduced disruption to operations
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Concrete Thermal Monitoring
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Christchurch Airport: Asphalt Technology
Christchurch International Airport has over 6 Million passengers per year
Primarily thin asphalt pavement surfacings over unbound gravel base layers and a natural gravel subgrade
Main runway 02-20 with a cross wind runway 11-29 Annual programme of airfield maintenance Collaborative approach to maintenance established with an
airfield works framework with owner, designer and contractor Goal is to safely and cost effectively implement the annual
pavement maintenance works whilst implementing a number of airfield paving innovations and minimising disruption to airfield operations
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Environmental Considerations
Environmental objectives set for the project
Meeting CIAL’s environmental goals (the Southern Hemisphere’s first CarboNZero airport)
Use of recycled materials and low energy asphalt on airfield pavements
Minimal impact on airport neighbors
Establishment of Environment Management Plans
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Sustainable Asphalts
Recycled asphalt pavements
15% to 30% RAP on shoulders and taxiways
Coolpave ™ warm mix AC trialed over the last 3 years
Combination of both
50% to 90% RAP in the future?
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RAP Asphalt Mix Properties
RAP mixes found to be less consistent than traditional mixes
Lower workability and tendency to cool more rapidly
Higher temperatures and softer bitumens have been trialed.
Further evaluation of durability
Mix (Lab Trials) Stability (kN) Resilient Modulus (MPa)
Wheel Tracking (mm)
AC14 14.5 3,500 2.9
AC14 with 15% RAP
18 5,000 1.0
AC14 with 30% RAP
17 5,100 <1.0
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Warm Mix AC Properties
Coolpave ™ technology by contractor Fulton Hogan using LEA Co. System
Placement temperatures under 100ºC (212ºF)
40% reduced energy, lower emissions and safer
Encouraging results, although lower stiffnesses to date and more compactive effort required
Mix (Field Results) Modulus at 4 weeks (MPa)
Modulus at 1 year (MPa)
AC14 2,400 2,900
AC14 with Coolpave 2,000 2,500
AC14 with 15% RAP 3,500 4,200
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Christchurch Airport AC Paving
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