How do I delay resurfacing an airport runway or taxiway?
Resurfacing a runway can be very expensive. Cost can vary greatly but figures from around the world suggest that costs can between £10-£25 million. Resurfacing presents a high risk scenario which can be very disruptive to flights due to timescales, potential delays and safety and security issues.
Resurfacing a runway is recommended every 10-15 years depending on the type of surface, friction levels and other safety aspects.
But this doesn’t have to be the case.
RHiNOPHALT asphalt preservation is the ideal solution to help runways, taxiways, aprons and all access roads stay in better condition for longer.
It is a unique preventative maintenance treatment that protects the existing asphalt from climatic conditions, oxidation and abrasion through traffic.
Trusted by over 75 airports worldwide, RHINOPHALT asphalt preservation has proven to be a very reliable, effective and innovative method of preserving asphalt infrastructure, offering substantial operational, environmental benefits and long-term cost savings to airport operators.
In fact, RHINOPHALT asphalt preservation is approximately 10% the cost of resurfacing. With repeat application you can prolong the need to resurface your runway even further by extending the life of the surface well into the future, meaning the cost of resurfacing can be diverted to other priorities. You may never need to resurface the surface until the friction characteristics are no longer safe.
In fact, RHINOPHALT asphalt preservation is approximately 10% the cost of resurfacing. With repeat application you can prolong the need to resurface your runway even further by extending the life of the surface well into the future, meaning the cost of resurfacing can be diverted to other priorities.
With RHINOPHALT asphalt preservation, prevention is always better than cure, as well being more cost effective and sustainable. The application of RHINOPHALT significantly reduces carbon from the runway maintenance process by more than 90% compared to resurfacing, where the aggregate is replaced.
RHINOPHALT can be applied in short operating windows, often at night meaning there is far less disruption to flights. For example, a full runway (180,000m2) can be treated in less than two weeks.
FOD occurrence is significantly reduced when RHINOPHALT is applied to the surface.
The process also supports security and safety due to minimal vehicle movements airside. It also massively improves aesthetics which in turn supports visual enhancement for incoming pilots.
RHiNOPHALT penetrates the existing surface and seals in essential oils and resins while improving its binding and waterproofing properties. As a result, the treated surface will become more resistant to abrasion, stone loss, water ingress, and the severe ageing effects of climatic conditions.
As the bitumen ages, asphalt loses its flexibility and becomes more brittle, leading to ravelling and pothole formation. This surface aggregate loss is a major safety concern to all airport operators as it poses a FOD hazard.
Suppliers of RHINOPHALT, ASI Solutions and their approved applicators around the globe, have now worked at over 75 airports around the world. Recently, the company and its Australian partner, Downer, won an award for its work at Mackay Airport where RHINOPHALT asphalt preservation was used on a runway in Australia for the first time, at the Australian Airports Association (AA) National Industry Awards 2023.
As a result of the successful work after a series of trials, Mackay Airport will now implement a proactive runway maintenance strategy, (intervene while the asphalt surfacing is in good condition) and re-apply RHiNOPHALT every five years to maximise the life of the runway asphalt surfacing.
This strategy will result in delaying further resurfacing of RWY 14/32 until 2045/46 or beyond, providing a significant economic and environmental benefit by extending the runway in service life to more than 20 years.
ASI has so far successfully completed projects across almost two million square metres of the world’s major civil and military airfields, including Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester, Brize Norton, Lisbon, Mount Pleasant and Brussels.
