The John F. Kennedy International Airport, JFK-104.002 – Runway 4L-22R Runway Safety Compliance and Reconstruction Project, is located in New York City and is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The 267 million dollar portland cement concrete pavement project consisted of rehabilitating the existing asphalt runway with a concrete overlay. The existing runway was milled approximately six inches deep; then a two-inch levelling course of asphalt was used prior to the placement of the 18-inch concrete overlay. A full-depth 18” concrete pavement was used to widen the runway by 50’ and add an extension of 700’ for a final 12,700’ by 200’ new runway with 40’ wide shoulders. This rehabilitation and widening project enhances the efficiency of the airport and 4L-22R will handle about 25 percent of the annual operations and in compliance with requirements for Group VI aircraft.

Concrete mix specifications for this project required a minimum flexural strength of 700 psi at 28 days with a maximum cementitious content of 550 lb/cy.  The specifications also required the mix to have a low chloride permeability as measured by the Rapid Chloride Permeability Test. The Port Authority Materials division recommended using slag cement as part of the mix design since slag cement increases flexural strengths, reduces the concrete permeability, and makes the concrete more resistant to alkali-silica reaction (ASR). In order to achieve the concrete pavement slipform construction requirements and meet the contract specifications, a Type IS (40) cement was used in the concrete mix. ASTM C595 Type IS (40) designates a portland blast-furnace slag cement that contains 40% slag, a recycled material that reduces the environmental footprint of the concrete. Laboratory mix design testing yielded in a 28-day flexural strength of 1300 psi. This concrete mixture met performance requirements for constructability, strength, durability, and smoothness – all at a reduced environmental impact, and is thus recognized as the SCA 2015 Project of the Year Award recipient in the category of sustainability.

Project credits: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Owner; Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – Materials Division, Engineer; Tutor Perini Corporation, Contractor; Tutor Perini Corporation, Concrete; Lehigh Cement Company, Slag Cement.