Development of Laboratory Testing Protocol for Rapid-Setting Cementitious Material for Airfield Pavement Repairs

Many commercial off-the-shelf products for repairing portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements provide short set times, high early strengths, and the durability to withstand aircraft traffic. Twenty-five rapid-setting cementitious materials were investigated through laboratory and field evaluations to determine their suitability for repairing critical PCC airfield pavements. Standard laboratory tests were performed to characterize the properties of the materials and provide a protocol for assessing their suitability for field repairs. Criteria for using rapid-setting cementitious materials for repairing airfield pavements were published in 2008 by the U.S. Air Force. The criteria, based on laboratory and full-scale testing, allowed users to reduce the risk of premature failure of repairs by omitting unacceptable materials from their list of potential repair materials. The American Society of Testing and Materials published a similar test protocol in 2009. On the basis of a comparison of these two certification procedures and knowledge gained through field experience, the Air Force selection protocol was further updated in 2010 to improve the material selection process. The laboratory test methods used to develop the selection protocol along with the results from the material investigations are discussed in this paper.