First use of Hanson Airfields is a runway success

New specialist asphalt mix design produced off site and used to resurface runway at Carlisle airport

A SPECIALIST asphalt mix design, which was produced entirely off site, has been used by Hanson UK to resurface the runway at Carlisle airport.

It is the first time Hanson Airfields, a hard-wearing material for runways, which can be used in both the binder and surface courses, has been supplied.

Unlike most traditional methods used for UK runways, the 15,000 tonnes of Hanson Airfields was produced at two off-site plants, saving the time and costs associated with having to establish an on-site asphalt plant.

Producing the mix off site also helped to meet the project’s tight design to output programme.

Hanson worked with bitumen suppliers Shell on testing and approving two versions of the surface and binder course design mixes for the contract, which also included supplying 8,000 tonnes of standard heavy-duty binder course to main contractors John Hopkins Contractors.

‘Hanson Airfields was laid with conventional equipment by the contractor,’ said Hanson technical services manager Jon Sharp.

‘Tight technical controls at our asphalt plants and on site ensured all material was supplied and laid in line with airfield specification requirements. The result is a durable alternative for airfield surfacing with the added benefits of being produced off site.

‘The project has been quite an achievement and led to us breaking our own production record by supplying more than 900 tonnes of material on three consecutive days out of our Keepershield plant in Northumberland.’

The success of the Hanson Airfields contract, which was also supplied by the company’s Shap asphalt plant in Cumbria, has resulted in further tenders for similar surfacing work in North Wales and London.