Precast Concrete (PC) Pavement Tests on Taxiway D-D at Laguardia Airport

The use of precast concrete (PC) to rehabilitate pavement is gaining interest as roadways and taxiways become more congested and the amount time of provided to rehabilitate pavements has been reduced greatly. PC is believed to provide a durable pavement, which can be constructed during reduced work periods. Congested airports, that move passengers by day, and cargo by night, are good candidates for PC pavement. The Port Authority of NY and NJ, which operates John F. Kennedy International (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), and Newark Liberty International (EWR) airports is familiar with tight time constraints for construction of pavement rehabilitation projects. In a continuing effort to identify a durable pavement that can be constructed within the allowable closure period, The Port Authority of NY and NJ installed a PC pavement test on Taxiway D-D at LaGuardia Airport during September of 2002. The PC pavement test was installed over an existing asphalt concrete (flexible) pavement. Two systems were developed and constructed. One system (System B) consisted of 30.5 m (100 feet) by 15.25 m (50 feet) area of 406 mm (16 inch) thick conventionally reinforced precast concrete. The other system (System A) consisted of 30.5 m (100 feet) by 15.25 m (50 feet) area of 304 mm (12 inch) thick pre-tensioned PC. All panels in both systems were sized at 3.8 m (12.5 feet) by 7.6 m (25 feet). Dowels were used for load transfer. This paper describes the design and the experience gained from the construction of the PC pavement tests.