It’s one of the many calls airport managers dread receiving. The voice on the other end says: “We’ve got a problem.” The runway has just experienced a major pavement heave and it needs to be fixed right away to keep aircraft operations from coming to a grinding halt. Crews quickly go to work, utilizing materials that are kept on-site: a pavement grinder, patch material, sealant — anything to keep the runway functional for the time being. Sometimes, this is all that can be done in the schedule-driven world of commercial aviation — often it isn’t enough.
EFFECTIVE AIRFIELD PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT
To truly avoid a scenario like the one described above, an airport must implement measures that prevent such pavement failures. Unfortunately, prevention is often impossible to achieve because pavements at airports are often as old as the airport itself. The good news is, no matter an airport’s size, function or capacity, having a robust pavement maintenance program and plan in place that commits dedicated resources to aging infrastructure is the most effective way to foster pavement resiliency.
