Maintenance and repair of airfield apron rigid pavements

after about 20 years in service, large sections of the concrete apron at Bari Civil Airport (Italy) shows evident structural problems. Slabs are principally affected by structural cracks and by shallow and deep spallings at joints. Present and forecast traffic data were collected and compared with the bearing capacity of the pavement as well as with typologies and positions of distresses. In particular it has been assessed that construction joints fatigue life has nearly expired. According to the results of field investigations, the effectiveness of current repair methods was investigated and original repair methods were developed both for spalled and cracked slabs. They concern the partial reconstruction of slabs with a double layer of a new fibro–reinforced concrete. Some trial repairs were carried out. After one year they showed no structural problems. So repairs are now in progress on the main apron of Bari Civil Airport using these construction methods