Task at Hand
The New Doha International Airport project at completion made it the second-largest airport in its region, featuring two of the longest commercial runways in the world, plus a network of roadways connecting Airside and Landside facilities.
Driveways and taxiways were constructed with Plain Cement Concrete (PCC) pavement slabs on a prepared granular subbase. The massive scope required all PCC mixes to be highly specified with an emphasis on durability and mechanical strength — superplasticizers and air-entraining agents to modify workability, setting time, strength, and durability, allowing the pavements to bear aircraft loads throughout their service life.
KingKrete Solution
PCC with a low water-cement ratio was the optimal solution. These water-reducing superplasticizing admixtures accelerated early strength development and provided adequate flexural strength for loaded aircraft. KingAdd 50RP’s retarding property offset hot-weather effects on setting time, decreasing slump loss and extending workability.
An air-entraining admixture used to improve durability and workability over long periods — greater resistance to freeze-thaw cycles and de-icing agents, plus reduced sulphate and alkali reactivity.
The KingKrete R&D centre ran several trials to determine optimum doses of all three admixtures, minimising cost while confirming performance requirements.