Feb 6, 2015
Airfield concrete rubblization performed by Antigo Construction using a MHB Badger Breaker®, 8600 Badger Breaker® and Z-pattern grid roller followed by concrete pavement milling on Taxiways A, C, D and K at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, NY, during 2013. Sealand Contractors Corp. was the accepted low bidder on the project and Antigo Construction was chosen as the concrete rubblization subcontractor. The original plan called for first milling the surface of the 14” to 24” thick, jointed plain concrete pavement (JPCP) an average depth of 6” followed by rubblization of the remaining thickness of JPCP. 3” of crushed aggregate base course (CABC) and 5” of asphalt pavement were then to be placed over the rubblized JPCP.
During the fall of 2012 Sealand approached Antigo about rubblizing the JPCP prior to the milling. They anticipated that the rubblization of the JPCP prior to the milling would greatly enhance the productivity of the milling machine and significantly reduce damage to the milling machine that they expected would occur when milling 6” of JPCP. The theory was that milling rubblized JPCP as opposed to the unbroken, extremely hard JPCP would provide these advantages.
The project began in April, 2013. Antigo used two of its 8600 Badger Breakers® to pre-break the JPCP by striking the pavement at 8” to 12” spacing to induce full-depth fractures and then completed the full-depth rubblization with one of its MHB Badger Breakers®. The rubblized surface was then rolled with Antigo’s “grid roller”. Test holes were dug to confirm compliance with the rubblization specification.
The milling machine then started milling the broken concrete and proceeded with relative ease. The milled surface was rolled with a vibratory steel drum roller and then the CABC layer was placed with a paver and compacted as final preparation for the asphalt pavement overlay.
This is the first airfield project that Antigo is aware of where this process of rubblization followed by concrete pavement milling was utilized. This process has great promise for the design of airfield rubblization and overlay projects by providing a cost-effective and time-efficient means for adjusting grades and slopes.
