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Home   Success Stories   Product Spotlight: Ergon A&E Assists in FDR at Claremore, Oklahoma Regional Airport

Success Story:

Product Spotlight: Ergon A&E Assists in FDR at Claremore, Oklahoma Regional Airport

CHALLENGE:

Replace existing pavement; account for clay underneath roadbed.

SOLUTION:

Full Depth Reclamation with Engineered Emulsion

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PROJECT QUICK FACTS:

LOCATION

Claremore Regional Airport; Claremore, Oklahoma

DISTRESS

Longitudinal cracks, block and alligator cracks

TRAFFIC

Consistent, heavy use (planes and cars)

AGENCY

City of Claremore

CONTRACTOR

APAC-Central

SUPPLIER

Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions (FDR-EE)

BACKGROUND:

Many years of heavy use, combined with a lack of resources and maintenance, left the city-owned Claremore Regional Airport runway with major issues. Thanks to the ravages of time and heavy use, longitudinal cracks had appeared in the pavement, along with some block and alligator cracks. Some fissures were even big enough to hide a person’s entire hand. Of course, as the cracks grew larger, both drainage and safety became larger issues.

Based on the severity of the damage, and to meet the operational goals of the new runway, all of the existing pavement would have to be replaced. However, there was no need to haul away the old material, as it could still be utilized in a process known as full depth reclamation (FDR). Given this information, the runway was set to receive 10” of in-place FDR.

CHALLENGE:

Unfortunately, the airport’s FDR plans suffered an early setback a mere 60 feet into the first pass. The construction vehicles — heavier by far than the runway’s usual aircraft traffic — had begun sinking into the pavement. Much to the dismay of contractors, airport leadership and government officials alike, it was found that the original roadbed was only 9” deep with layers of clay underneath. This meant that a limited amount of material was available for pulverizing and blending into a properly stabilized foundation. Fully crewed and ready to roll, the Coughlin Company, subcontractor for project leader APAC-Central, had no choice but to shut down construction. They then met with airport officials, an engineering firm, the Federal Aviation Administration and Paragon Technical Services, Inc. (PTSi) to discuss.
FDR-Oklahoma-Airport-Research

Steps to increase the drainage, tensile strength and structural capacity of the runway were sorely needed.

FDR is a recycling method in which existing pavement is broken up, pulverized and mixed with additives such as cement, lime, calcium chloride or any number of chemical agents to create a new, vastly improved and more durable base course.

FDR can be performed faster than a traditional full depth removal and replacement.

Adjusting the Plan

The group decided to make the project 9” (instead of the originally scheduled 10”) in order to stay out of the clay. The reasoning was there would be no diminishing or detrimental effects by reducing the FDR material by 1” as compared to either incorporating the clay instead of granular base, or having to bring in the granular base and do a whole new design. Two days following the shutdown, it was time to get back to work.

FDR-Oklahoma-Airport-Application-1

Application Highlights

The Coughlin Company chose an engineered emulsion supplied by Ergon A&E for the FDR binder, as a commodity emulsion would not be adequate for this particular project. The additional benefit of using an engineered emulsion over commodity is increased durability and resistance to heavy traffic early on, which is critical for airports as there is constant high and heavy traffic.

The mix design, conducted by PTSi utilized millings of the reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) along with high-quality surfactants and cement. The targeted amounts of 2.9% asphalt emulsion to 0.75% cement were finalized by adjusting mix parameters within tolerances of the design. FDR was performed along the entire length and width of the runway. The existing asphalt material was pulverized and graded, then stabilized before being compacted from the bottom up to form a new and improved roadbed. The work was completed in short order while takeoffs and landings were temporarily moved to a taxiway so that the airport could remain open. Ergon A&E support personnel spent two days on site, a fraction of the project’s total two-week timeline — but an important two days to be sure.

FDR-Oklahoma-Airport-In-Place-Application

Thanks in part to Ergon A&E, the project was a technical success, winning various awards for the quality of the work and, in particular, the smoothness of the wearing course.

“All emulsions aren’t created equal,” said Darren Coughlin, president of the Coughlin Company. “We know we can always count on Ergon A&E for quality, outstanding service and expert technical support throughout every project. Ergon works with us on jobs from California to Kansas, and everywhere in between. From construction to follow-up, there’s nobody better — they lead the way in promoting excellence in our industry.”

Congratulations are due to APAC and the Coughlin Company for completing such a difficult project.

Students and faculty from the University of Arkansas visited the Claremore site regularly during construction to study the efficacy and environmental impact of the work as part of a joint research project between the University and Ergon A&E.

Treatments

Click Treatment Description
Full Depth Reclamation FDR is a complete rehabilitation technique addressing all major distresses throughout the pavement structure and into the base. All roadway materials are combined in-situ and compacted to form an improved base. This...
Treatment Description
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