Pub. 1 2018-2019 Issue 2

but it doesn’t get rid of the need to preserve the pavement on a com- prehensive basis. To keep airport pavements functional, you need routine preservation, rehabilitation, and construction upgrades. Failure to detect pavement distresses in order to maintain them will eventu- ally result in expensive repairs and closure times. The selection of strategies to pre- serve, rehabilitate, or reconstruct pavement typically considers factors such as cost, economics of closure time, safety aspects, and coordi- nation of aircraft operations. A typical general aviation preserva- tion or rehabilitation project will close an airport for 15–30 days. Reconstruction projects may have closure time of 40–60 days. Airport pavements must offer dura- bility that can handle the variance in heavy and small aircraft, weather extremes, constructability, and maintainability over its life. Innovation solutions to preserve asphalt pavements are being devel- oped and implemented through- out the world. Many of these inno- vations focus on slowing down the pavement deterioration rate by focusing on maintaining a good If the U.S. wants to improve its airports for the most reasonable price possible, the answer probably involves using asphalt. Innovative strategies such as the Rhinophalt treatment, combined with grooves in the asphalt to minimize hydroplaning and maximize tire friction. pavement that will then have a longer life. By implementing HR 4 and HR 1625, the U.S. has shown that it recognizes the need to preserve the airport infrastruc- ture. Cities, counties, the FAA, the avia- tion industry, and state DOTs are all inter- ested in incorporating innovative ideas that will help them maintain good pave- ments longer and more economically. 3 31