FAA Researching Green Pavement for Airports

AutoInformed.com

The FAA has not recommended environmentally friendly airport pavement because research on the effects of aircraft tire pressure and heavy gear loads is scant.

The Federal Aviation Administration – FAA – dedicated today its new National Airport Pavement & Materials Research Center at the William J. Hughes Technical Center at Egg Harbor Township in New Jersey. FAA engineers will use a custom-designed vehicle simulator to test asphalt and other pavement materials at high tire pressures and temperatures in search of ‘green pavement.’

Airport pavement temperatures can reach 140 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit as far north as New York City. Tire pressures can vary from 220 to 250 pounds per square inch on new generation aircraft like the Boeing 787 and Airbus 350.

The vehicle simulator has an automated heating system that allows engineers to replicate and analyze the damage that heavy commercial jets can cause to the top asphalt layer when runways are hot. The vehicle was designed to mimic the behavior and weight of aircraft tires, and can show how repetitive aircraft operations affect pavement.

The new center allows the FAA to research environmentally friendly airport pavement materials such as warm-mix and recycled asphalt pavements. The FAA’s stated goal is to expand the use of “greener” materials, and pavement materials that are easier to install and can be modified to enhance pavement durability and strength. This in theory will help airport operators save money by lowering the costs of initial construction, maintenance, and repairs, and will provide a longer pavement life.

The FAA has not recommended the use of environmentally friendly airport pavement materials yet because research on the effects of aircraft tire pressure and heavy gear loads on green airport pavement materials has been limited.

About Ken Zino

Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
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