Investigation of Alkali Silica Reaction Induced Blowups in an Airfield Runway Pavement

An airfield pavement presented with blowups in the middle of the runway across multiple paving lanes. Damage occurred multiple times over a series for several summers. A condition survey was performed to identify typical distresses present in the pavement and investigate the causes leading to the failure of the pavement. Petrographic analysis of cores removed from the pavement identified the presence of alkali-silica reactive (ASR) gel and related damage in the concrete. The construction history was reviewed to identify the cause of the patterns seen in the blowup locations and review why the aggregate was not identified as ASR-reactive during pre-construction. Drainage of the base layers and the jointing layout plan were found to have had an impact on the location of the blowups throughout the airfield. Repairs were proposed with differing funding timelines including the installation of expansion joints to absorb future expansion and complete replacement of the ASR affected concrete.