The working relationship is very important
and underscores the important point that
our goals are the same:
To increase the quality of airfield concrete pavements.
—Gary Mitchell, Vice President of Airports-ACPA
A series of meetings in mid-January set a positive tone for developing a collaborative applied research & technology program and for improving airport concrete pavement specifications. Representatives of the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) met with John Dermody, Director-Office of Airport Safety and Standards; Khalil Kodsi, Airports Division Manager; and Doug Johnson, Paving Engineer-Federal Aviation Association (FAA) Headquarters. Gary Mitchell, Vice President of Airports-ACPA said discussions on various research topics and how to structure an applied research program that would facilitate agency and industry collaboration were very productive.
According to ACPA, Mitchell and others representing the concrete pavement industry have fostered an excellent relationship with the agency and have been working closely with officials from FAA Headquarters and the William J. Hughes Technical Center to discuss both a viable collaboration and specific focal points for applied research that is focused on improving the quality of concrete pavements. The 2020 appropriations legislation signed into law in December provides funding for Research & Technology (R&T) similar to what ACPA developed and led to create the Accelerated Implementation and Deployment of Pavement Technologies (AID-PT) program with the Federal Highway Association (FHWA). The Portland Cement Association (PCA) and the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) worked closely with ACPA and FAA officials on both programs.
There were two additional meetings with the US military Tri-Services, the first of which involved military officials, ACPA staff, Martin Holt, Airfield Task Force Chairman-Interstate Highway Construction, other contractors, vendors, and architectural and engineering (A/E) firms to discuss specifications. The group had a thorough and detailed discussion about the military’s Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS), all with the aim of fine tuning and improving the concrete pavement spec.
Gary Mitchell, Martin Holt and Jerry Voigt met with the Tri-Services to discuss specific ways to help improve concrete pavements and concrete pavement construction. Gary said, “We agreed to enter into a close working relationship, focusing on a “better understanding of each other’s perspectives.”
He added that the military has some very exacting standards for quality that have everything to do with both the overall mission, as well as the type of aircraft taking off and landing on pavements, often in less-than-ideal conditions. “We understand and appreciate the Department of Defense requirements and why they are so exacting.”