Gilsonite Asphalt for Airports and Heavy-Duty Pavements
Airport aprons, container terminals and industrial yards carry very heavy, slow or stationary loads. These pavements need extra stiffness.
Heavy-duty challenges
- Point loads from aircraft gear and container stackers
- Slow-moving and parked loads
- Fuel spills on airfields
Benefits of gilsonite
- High stiffness and rut resistance
- Improved resistance to deformation under static loads
- Enhanced resistance to some fuels and oils compared with unmodified binder
Typical uses
- Aircraft aprons and taxiways
- Container yards and port roads
- Truck terminals and loading docks
- Industrial floors in asphalt
Design tips
Use higher gilsonite dosages (8–12% of binder) with appropriate aggregate gradation, and confirm with wheel-tracking tests.
Loads compared
| Pavement | Typical load character |
|---|---|
| Highway | Moving, repeated |
| Airport apron | Heavy, slow, parked |
| Container yard | Very heavy point loads |
Design considerations
Use stiff binders, strong aggregate skeletons and adequate thickness. Check resistance to fuel spills where relevant.
See our asphalt modifier grade gilsonite. Related: fuel resistance of gilsonite asphalt.
Recommended product
Asphalt Modifier Grade Gilsonite
| Property | Typical value | Test method |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Black powder or granules | Visual |
| Softening point (R&B) | 150 – 200 °C | ASTM D36 |
| Ash content, max | 8 % | ASTM D3174 |
| Moisture, max | 1 % | ASTM D95 |
| Solubility in TCE, min | 95 % | ASTM D2042 |
| Specific gravity @ 25°C | 1.04 – 1.10 | ASTM D70 |
| Particle size | Powder ≤ 200 mesh / granular 1–5 mm | Sieve |
| Typical dosage | 4 – 12 % by weight of binder | |
| Packing | 25 kg bags, meltable bags or 1 MT jumbo bags. | |
Typical values. The final specification is confirmed in the COA of each shipment.
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