Emergency Runway Repair Polyurea
CASE HISTORY:
- Williams Gateway Airport, formaly Williams Air Force Base, located in Mesa, AZ had been looking for a rapid repair material for emergency runway spall repairs since the late 1990’s.
- Over the years the Airport Runway maintenance team had tried numerous products to solve the problem. Epoxies were too slow and brittle. Cementitous materials presented problems in cooler temperatures and did not provide the surface bonding characteristics the maintenance team required. In addition the concrete repair patches usually cracked at some point and began the spalling process all over again.
- Because of constant runway maintenance, the airport needed a material that was user friendly, economical, able to be installed by one or two technicians and within minutes could be put back in service.
- The threat of aircraft ingesting small concrete chunks, pebbles, and additional debris (FOD) created by the spalling presented a real concern to the airport maintenance staff.
- In the Spring of 2002, maintenance personnel heard about rapid curing polyurea technology and began a search to locate a product that would fit their immediate needs.
BACKGROUND:
- The maintenance department at this facility located Elastomer Specialties, Inc. and requested samples of the ES-9500 ElastoKast 95 to be tested at their Airport. In the spring of 2002 testing of the product began in order to determine its ease of application, durability and over all bonding strength.
- In the beginning, only small spalled areas were tested. A monitoring period of several weeks took place before the maintenance staff reached a decision to precede with larger test areas.
- A polymer with high tensile strengths, good rebound, would not harden and had good resistance to aircraft hydraulic fluids and fuel, was a major concern and requirement. The material also needed to have enough gel time so as to allow for hand mixing and pouring directly into the previously prepared spalled sections.
- Product shrinkage was also a major issue. The material to be used for these repairs could not shrink and draw away from the spalled edges of the concrete.
- In the situation of deeper spalls the Airport wanted a material that could be poured in lifts using aggregate as a filler to help increase compressive strengths.
- ES-9500 ElastoKast 95 (Emergency Runway Repair Polyurea) has now been used on a continuing basis, at this major Airport for almost two years with excellent success. (NOTE!) The same facility also uses KwikSeal 35 for crack and joint repair. For additional information on this product contact Elastomer Specialties, Inc.
Installation Bulletin
)
Repaired spall in runway
Gateway Airport, Mesa, AZ
MATERIAL:
- Primer:
- PolyBon thin film primer/adhesive was specified for use with ES-9500 repair polymer.
- PolyBon is a 1:1 ratio epoxy/urethane modified material that is extremely rapid curing and because of its low viscosity penetrates deep into the concrete surface providing an exceptional bond for the ES-9500.
- Once applied, the primer hardens the concrete surface and eliminates dusting. Additionally PolyBon can be installed on dry or slightly damp concrete surfaces.
- The material was mixed in small amounts and then applied to the prepared spall using a standard paintbrush.
- Repair Polyurea:
- ES-9500 ElastoKast 95 (Emergency Runway Repair Poyurea) is a 1:2 ratio hybrid-polyurea designed specifically for use as a rapid curing, emergency concrete spall repair polymer with exceptional physical properties.
- Once the designated repair area had been properly prepared and primed the rapid repair polyurea was mixed 1 part A to 2 parts B using a high-speed drill and Jiffy mixer for approximately 40 seconds.
- When ElastoKast 95 had been mixed it was immediately poured into the repair area flush with the concrete perimeter.
- As in the following pictures, once installed the runway was opened to traffic in less than one hour.
- Many of the repairs made at this Airport were conducted by only one or two employees. Additional pictures at the bottom of the page show ElastoKast 95 repairs made over a year ago, still holding tight.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)