Applicability of Concrete with High Flexural Strength to Airport Pavements

In the construction of airport pavements, one possible way to save resources and lower construction costs is to reduce the slab thickness by introducing high-strength concrete. Cost-saving would be even more effective if the high-strength concrete could be laid without using any special materials or construction methods. To this end, a series of investigations has been carried out to develop a suitable high-strength concrete for airport pavements. First, a number of factors relating to the mix design of high-strength concrete were studied and mix proportions were investigated in laboratory tests. Concrete pavements were then experimentally constructed using both high-strength concrete and conventional concrete so as to compare construction methods and performance. From the laboratory tests, an appropriate mix proportion was determined using the findings related to aggregate characteristics and unit water content. The experimental paving work demonstrated that slabs of high-strength concrete could be constructed in the same way as conventional concrete slabs as long as particular care is taken with respect to the method and period of curing. Current structural design methods can also be adopted. It is concluded that high-strength concrete can be satisfactorily used for airport pavements.