Boston Logan International Airport is one of the nation’s busiest airports. Whenever road pavement repairs are required at passenger pickup and drop-off areas, the work must be done quickly to minimize traffic disruptions. This was the case in spring 2018, when the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) needed to replace 8,400 sq. ft. of deteriorating bridge deck surface at Terminal B.
Massport had previously contracted indus (formerly Sealcoating Inc.), based in Braintree, Mass., to perform bridge deck pavement repairs at the airport’s rental car center. The contractor was able to fast-track the project by using CTS Cement’s Rapid Set® Low-P™ FA1 Cement for the pavement overlay. Based on the speed and success of that project, Massport commissioned indus to remove and replace the overlay at Terminal B, specifying that repairs be made using the same material.
Low-P FA1 is a polymer-modified cement that when used in conjunction with aggregates will provide a durable concrete overlay that sets fast and provides high early strengths—typically reaching 3200 psi in three hours. It has low permeability and is resistant to corrosion caused by chlorides and deicing salts, making it ideal for bridge deck overlays and pavement repairs. It is a high-value alternative to latex-modified, polyester, low-slump and microsilica/silica fume concrete products.
At Terminal B, the contractor removed the deteriorated pavement and used 300 cu. yds. of Low-P FA1 to place a new 6-in.-thick overlay. The material was mixed with water and aggregates and batched by volumetric mobile mixer. To avoid having trucks parked on the bridge being repaired, the contractor used a conveyer to place the concrete, which enabled the indus crew to place the material from concrete trucks sitting as far as 200 ft. away. After the final finishing, the crew covered the overlay with a wet burlap for curing. The pavement was ready for traffic in three hours.
The project was completed over the course of two days, May 5-6, 2018. The end result is an impermeable riding surface that provides corrosion resistance to the underlying deck reinforcement from road salts, providing long-lasting durability in Boston’s four-season climate.
