IMPROVEMENTS TO AIRPORT DRAINAGE CRITERIA, PHASE I

Most airport pavement damage is caused by free water in the base course and subgrades. Pavement surfaces are difficult to seal and most airports are constructed on base courses and subgrades that have low coefficients of permeability and are not capable of removing much water. The best method of controlling and reducing free water in the pavement structural sections and preventing consequent pavement damage is to provide coarse open-graded macadam base course drainage layers with collector and outlet pipes. When excess water is not allowed to drain from the structural sections, aircraft traffic can cause pumping, faulting, and other problems that are many times greater than those occurring when there is no free water present. Studies have indicated that 80 to 90 percent of all severe damage is caused by excess water in the pavement structural sections.

• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station

  3909 Halls Ferry Road
  Vicksburg, MS  United States  39180-6199
• Authors:
  • Fowler, J
• Publication Date: 1976-10

Media Info

• Pagination: 39 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Airport runways; Airports; Base course (Pavements); Cracking; Data collection; Drainage; Handbooks; Loss and damage; Pavement maintenance; Pavements; Rainfall; Runoff; Surveys
• Old TRIS Terms: Damage control
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Economics; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Pavements; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00147285
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FAA-RD-76-59 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-FA75WAI-536
• Files: NTIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 15 1977 12:00AM