A Review and Discussion of Current Developments Involving Bonded Concrete Overlays of Airfield Pavements

Abstract

Fully-bonded portland cement concrete overlays have been widely used by the U.S. military to rehabilitate rigid airfield pavements that have functional deficiencies – such as roughness, surface profile, poor friction, or foreign object damage (FOD) potential. Significant developments in the concrete industry over the last 15 years – including considerable changes in concrete material additives, construction practices, surface preparation, and computer modeling – have led to changes in traditional practices. A survey of the recent literature in relevant topics led to the synthesis of applicable developments from several areas. New research on failure mechanisms, surface preparation, bonding agent use, and interface texture has provided fresh insight regarding some conventionally-accepted wisdom. Integrating contemporary findings into recommended practice should improve the oft-times variable nature of achieving the best bonding conditions for bonded overlays and ultimately improve their reliable long-term performance.