Skip to main content

Removing runway rubber

When Dubai Airport contacted Waterblasting Technologies it faced a number of challenges.
February 20, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
When Dubai Airport contacted Waterblasting Technologies it faced a number of challenges.

One was finding a waterblasting system that would operate successfully in the 42º-52ºC daylight heat of the summer and also to find the fastest and most productive waterblasting system because of very limited runway closure time.

Chemicals, shotblasting and other waterblasting equipment had been tried on the runways, but eventually engineers and management chose the Stripe Hog SH8000T manufactured by 362 Waterblasting Technologies.

The system, which can be built on a variety of truck chassis, uses needle sharp water jets to quickly remove all types of roadway and airfield marking paint as well as runway rubber deposit build-up.

According to the company the Dubai airport runways is probably the most challenging rubber removal environment in the world with an average of 800-plus movements a day with summer-time peaks of 1,100/day and an average of only 5-10 days of rain each year.

"With the ability to remove runway rubber deposits on average of 1,672m²/hour and the ability to operate in the extreme heat without breaking down, the SH8000T became the product of choice for the Dubai airport," says Waterblasting Technologies, which also offers the SH8000T or the new SH8000R with optional, on-board water recycling.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Two new road construction machines for Massenza
    June 24, 2021
    Italian manufacturer Massenza, which produces bitumen emulsion and concrete equipment for road construction markets around the world, has been hard at work over the past two years developing two new machines.
  • Egypt’s new concrete highway connecting Cairo with Suez
    July 15, 2016
    CEMEX has played a key role in a highway construction job in Egypt. The company has supplied 130,000m3 of concrete that has been used for the construction of the new Cairo–Suez highway project. The project is of note as this is Egypt’s first concrete highway and if it proves successful, more are likely to be built using this construction method. The 35km road is of major importance to Egypt also as it connects the capital, Cairo, with the seaport city of Suez, two of the nation’s most important economic cen
  • Innovations in aggregates production will boost quarry efficiency
    March 16, 2016
    New innovations are underway that will help optimise rock crushing and screening operations and boost quarry efficiency overall - Mike Woof writes. Quarrying is a tough industry that provides enormous challenges to equipment providers as machines and technology have to be rugged, durable and productive. Cutting the cost of production while optimising output has been a major target for suppliers, with new technologies playing an increasingly important role. Taking the long view with regard to increased qu
  • Out of sight
    July 16, 2012
    With traffic volumes increasing around the world, many existing road links will need to be upgraded or replaced in coming years The need for new road tunnels is particularly intense in many dense urban areas, due to environmental requirements that mean new road links will have to be installed underground. However, improving existing road tunnel links is providing a very large part of the business for this specialised construction segment at present.