Evaluation of Pavement Preservation and Maintenance Activities at General Aviation Airports in Texas

Abstract

General aviation (GA) airports play an important role in the national transportation system by accommodating emergencies and providing for agricultural, recreational, and other operations. GA airports account for almost 90% of the airports in the Texas Airport System Plan. To protect their initial investment in asphalt and concrete pavements, GA airports are expected to perform routine pavement maintenance. For this case study of pavement maintenance practices at GA airports in Texas, GA airport managers were contacted and interviewed about treatments used at their facilities and about the process of having the work done. Respondents were asked to rank the effectiveness of specific maintenance treatments for asphalt and concrete pavements on a Likert-type scale, as well as marking type, retexturing methods, and rubber and contaminant removal methods. Information about the level at which pavement maintenance decisions were made, the process, and the additional data desired (specifically about pavements) was obtained through open-ended questions. The results show that crack sealing and slurry sealing are the two most commonly used maintenance treatments—in a reactive manner. The results also indicate that most GA airport managers rely on the Aviation Division of the Texas Department of Transportation or an engineering firm to manage the airfield pavement and do not take an active approach to implementing routine preventive maintenance. This reliance was the result of two factors: (a) level of knowledge, of both the airport managers and those approving funding, and (b) availability of funding. Opportunities for cooperation and education to address deficiencies exist within the current system.