Airport authorities win with an ultra-effective asphalt interlayer design that’s quick, long-term AND cost effective

In 2019, the Taylor County Airport in Kentucky needed a long-term solution for its failing runway. Plagued with micro cracks, airport authorities were concerned the aging pavement would create flying object debris (FOD), which would create hazards to aircraft.

Since no milling was done on the runway pavement prior to re-paving, the existing cracks would be exposed to the bottom of the new surface and would ultimately reflect upward through the new pavement. An asphalt interlayer was selected for this project as the ideal solution to isolate the cracking and provide a barrier to water infiltration.

Palmer Engineering called on the BATT Lab to come up with the interlayer solution. With nearly four decades of experience designing crack-resistant asphalt interlayers, the BATT Team devised an asphalt interlayer that has held strong after three years and shows virtually no signs of cracking. The interlayer design should last a decade longer, which represents an excellent return on investment for the airport.

The BATT Lab design utilized a 4.75mm-size aramid fiber to reinforce the HMA that Haydon Materials could produce at its plant and pave with existing equipment. The asphalt interlayer gave the paving contractor an effective crack resistant solution, while maintaining cost control for this demanding application.

A fiber-reinforced surface mix was also designed using a higher-than-normal asphalt content to provide even greater crack resistance than a typical FAA asphalt mix design. The design allowed Haydon to control the quality in production and installation in addition to providing efficient construction and a quick return to air traffic.

The development of this unique interlayer design is a cost-effective advancement for the paving industry that holds great promise for improving reflective crack prevention.

Overall project description can be viewed at this link.

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