#Airport runway mat how to#
#Airport runway mat free#

While these mats had almost no downfall operationally, logistically they were very heavy and required large numbers of cargo aircraft to fly them around the world. Sometimes called the Marston Mat, after the location of its first use in North Carolina, its ease of manufacture, rapid emplacement, durability, and ability to handle heavy loads led to extensive use in World War II, in both the European and Pacific theaters of operation. WES, in conjunction with the Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corp., eventually designed the pierced steel plank: narrow, 10-ft-long perforated plates that linked and weighed about 70-lb each. While innovative and fast, these existing designs simply could not handle the loads of the modern bomber aircraft the United States was bringing to the fight. These wooden mats provided a strong surface that distributed the weight of the aircraft over a large area of the relatively weak soil below. A method was needed to quickly build expedient runways in forward areas, allowing for a constantly shifting front line with the enemy.įrench and British engineers developed clever designs using flat, interlocking structures to create a matting over soils. To fight effectively against the Axis powers, the Allies could not rely on large airfields in rear areas.

#Airport runway mat how to#

As WES engineers learned how to build paved runways to handle the bombers’ loads, a new problem emerged. In the small town of Vicksburg, Miss., the Waterways Experiment Station (WES), the premier soil mechanics research laboratory of the Corps of Engineers and the predecessor to ERDC, quickly became the center of expertise for airfield design. Army Corps of Engineers was tasked with solving the problem. Immediately, runway design was deemed critical. In 1941, the 160,000-lb experimental bomber XB-19 was being taxied on a runway in California when the wheels broke through the pavement. Army Engineer Research & Development Center (ERDC) were there in the beginning, paving the way for airfield design, and the agency continues to be at the forefront of this critical technology.īy the start of World War II, bombers had become significantly larger and heavier than commercial aircraft. Therefore, to build runways, the aircraft community simply relied on the same design principles that had been used to construct roads. By the 1930s, planes had become ample enough to move considerable numbers of people and equipment, yet they remained not much heavier than large trucks. They carried a single person and could land on just about any soil surface. Rock rip rap attracts snakes and mice which attracts birds.įlexamat is efficiently installed, enabling airports to maintain normal operations during the installation process.In the early days of flight, aircraft were small and lightweight. Flexamat mitigates wildlife concerns associated with rock in areas where rip rap would be traditionally used. The Flexamat armor is maintainable, either for airport mowing equipment or if it’s kept unvegetated.

The fully interlocked Flexamat blocks, combined with their weight, secures Flexamat in place, even in jet blast areas.

#Airport runway mat free#

Rock rip rap does not meet FAA height restrictions within the obstacle free area (OFA).įlexamat ® is the erosion solution for these sensitive areas, meeting FAA height restrictions for use within the OFA. Erosion control blankets and turf reinforcement mats are not permitted due to the threat of the material getting sucked into jet engines. Traditional erosion control measures are not possible in areas adjacent to taxiways and runways. Large impervious surfaces formed by runways, taxiways and terminals create considerable stormwater runoff.