AIRFIELD MARKING PROBLEMS

MAJOR PROBLEMS IN MATERIAL MAINTENANCE BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE NAVAL CIVIL ENGINEERING LABORATORY AT PORT HUENEME ARE PAINT DETERIORATION OF AIRFIELD MARKINGS AND DAMAGE TO THE ASPHALTIC SUBSTRATE. PAINT DETERIORATION ON ASPHALT PAVEMENTS USUALLY RESULTS FROM CRACKING AND PEELING. DAMAGE TO ASPHALT PAVEMENT IS NORMALLY CAUSED BY LIFTING OF THE SLURRY SEAL OR CRACKING AND SPALLING OR CHIPPING. FACTORS THAT WERE FOUND TO CONTRIBUTE TO DETERIORATION OF PAINTED MARKINGS ON THE PAVEMENT ARE THAT THE PAINTS CONTRACT SIGNIFICANTLY UPON CURING AND IMPOSE A STRAIN UPON THE SUBSTRATE TO WHICH THEY BOND. BOTH PAINT AND SUBSTRATE SURFACES CONTINUE TO DRY AND DEGRADE. DAILY DIFFERENTIAL EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION BETWEEN THE BLACK PAVEMENT AND THE WHITE PAINT ADDS TO THE STRAIN. ASPHALT IS VERY SOLUBLE IN ORGANIC SOLVENTS USED IN MARKING PAINTS, AND THESE TEND TO DETERIORATE ASPHALTIC SLURRY SEALS AND PAVEMENTS. WIDELY DIFFERING TYPES OF ENVIRONMENT AND SERVICE PREVENT ONE PAINT OR PAINTING PROCEDURE FROM BEING THE STANDARD CHOICE FOR ALL SETS OF CONDITIONS. A WATER-EMULSION VINYL PAINT MIGHT PERFORM WELL WHEN IT RECEIVES LITTLE TRAFFIC, BUT ERODES RAPIDLY UNDER HEAVY TRAFFIC. UNLESS NEW ASPHALT PAVEMENTS ARE PERMITTED TO CURE BEFORE APPLICATIONS OF MARKING PAINTS, SOLVENTS IN THE PAINT WILL CAUSE SOME OF THE ASPHALT TO BLEED THROUGH THE PAINT AND IMPART A BROWN DISCOLORATION TO IT. TIME FOR ASPHALT CURING VARIES GREATLY WITH PREVAILING TEMPERATURES, BUT 21 DAYS ARE GENERALLY ALLOWED FOR CURING OF PAVEMENTS BEFORE MARKING. MARKING PAINT SHOULD BE APPLIED AT THE COVERAGE RATE SPECIFIED IN FEDERAL SPECIFICATIONS TT-P-0085C (105 PLUS OR MINUS 5 SQ. FT. PER GALLON) OR AN EQUIVALENT WET FILM THICKNESS. WHEN RESTRIPING DETERIORATED MARKINGS, THE REMAINING LOOSE PAINT AND SUBSTRATE SHOULD BE REMOVED AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE, PREFERABLY BY SAND-BLASTING. ALL AIRFIELD MARKING PAINTS SHOULD BE TESTED FOR COMPLETE CONFORMANCE TO THE FEDERAL SPECIFICATIONS. WHILE BOTH ALKYD AND OLEORESINOUS PHENOLIC VARNISH PAINTS CONFORMING TO THE FEDERAL SPECIFICATION MAY PERFORM QUITE WELL, THE LATTER HAVE GENERALLY PERFORMED BETTER AT THE SOUTHWEST DIVISION. BY SPECIFYING A MINIMUM OIL LENGTH FOR EITHER OF THESE GENERIC TYPES, ONE CAN ASSURE A SATISFACTORY PAINT FLEXIBILITY.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 10, No 8, PP 10-11, 3 PHOT
• Authors:
  • Drisko, R W
• Publication Date: 1969-8

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Navy Civil Engineer
  • Publisher: Naval Facilities Engineering Command

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Airport runways; Airports; Applications; Asphalt pavements; Chippings; Concrete curing; Contraction; Deterioration; Environment; Fracture mechanics; Paint; Slurry seals; Solvents; Spalling; Specifications; Substrates (Waterways)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Substrates
• Old TRIS Terms: Marking
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Pavements; Research; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00216886
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 22 1994 12:00AM