NEW APPROACH TO RUNWAYS, ROADS: RP

A SYSTEM WAS RECENTLY DEVELOPED BY THE BOEING COMPANY FOR CASTING REINFORCED PLASTICS ON THE GROUND TO PERMIT THE RAPID CONSTRUCTION OF ROADWAYS, LANDING STRIPS, AND STORAGE AREAS. A SPECIAL MACHINE WAS DEVELOPED THAT ROLLS OUT AN 11 1/2 BY 300 FT. GLASS FIBER MAT UNDER TENSION. THE MACHINE, TOWED BY A BULL-DOZER, ROLLS ON 3 LARGE BALLOON TIRES WHICH MOVE OVER LOOSE SOILS WITHOUT LEAVING AN INDENTATION THAT WOULD AFFECT THE MAT. THE MACHINE CARRIES TWO 350-GAL. CONTAINERS OF POLYESTER RESIN AND SMALLER CONTAINERS OF PROMOTER AND CATALYST. THE PROMOTER IS MIXED WITH ONE BATCH OF RESIN, THE CATALYST WITH THE OTHER, AND THE TWO MIXTURES SPRAYED ONTO THE MAT UNDER 40 TO 60 P.S.I. PRESSURE THROUGH PARALLEL SPRAY BARS, 6 TO 8 IN. ABOVE THE GROUND. AS THEY LEAVE THE NOZZLES, THE MIXTURES SPRAY INTO OVERLAPPING FANS THAT INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER TO INITIATE CURE. AS THE RESIN CURES IN 15 TO 60 MIN., IT BONDS NOT ONLY TO THE MAT BUT TO THE LAYER OF SOIL BENEATH IT, TO A THICKNESS OF SEVERAL INCHES, THE RESULT IS A TOUGH, UNBROKEN SURFACE UNAFFECTED BY OIL, WATER, OR ACID, AND PROVIDING EXCELLENT TRACTION EVEN IN HEAVY RAIN. THE MACHINE REQUIRES ONLY ONE OPERATOR TO MONITOR THE PUMPING SPEEDS AND CHECK THE CONTROLS. THE MAT IS READY TO USE AS SOON AS THE RESIN CURES. IT IS RELATIVELY MAINTENANCE-FREE AND WILL ENDURE ALL BUT THE MOST EXTREME CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. /ARTICLE/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 45, No 8, P 108, 1 PHOT
• Publication Date: 1968-4

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Modern Plastics
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill, Incorporated

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Casting; Catalysts; Climate; Glass fibers; Location; Mat footings; Polyester resins; Reinforced plastics; Road construction
• Uncontrolled Terms: Building sites; Mats; Preparation
• Subject Areas: Construction; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00216717
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 24 1994 12:00AM