Concrete @ your Fingertips

Airports and concrete.

Concrete is extensively used for the runways, taxiways and aprons of airports. The pavements at airports undergo some of the heaviest loadings and are subjected to the most extreme operating environments. Concrete is particularly suitable for aprons and stands due to the high local loadings from service vehicles as well as the aircraft themselves; modern aircraft have very high tyre pressures, leading to high concentrated loads.

Additional benefits of concrete over bituminous materials include its resistance to the high temperatures from jet blast and the reduced risk of small particles breaking free and being sucked into aircraft, causing serious damage.

Acknowledgement: The Concrete Society