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

  • Preventive maintenance - preserving pavements
    February 14, 2012
    In the first article of a three-part series on preventive maintenance, Alan S. Kercher, of Kercher Engineering, highlights the value to road agencies of a properly implemented pavement preservation programme For many road agencies, the budget for maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction (MR&R) of their roads is focused mainly on the pavements that are in the worst condition. In the short term, this common approach may seem very logical. However, when focused on expensive structural improvements,
  • Big jobs for the Atlas 140 W ‘bigfoot’ all terrain excavator
    January 17, 2018
    The ATLAS 140 W is equipped with huge 710/45-26.5 20 PR tyres and an undercarriage developed for working on marshy wet ground. The 140 W also has a speed of 30kph on roads and pathways so it can be used for all types of jobs on both difficult wet terrain and on the road,” said Frank König, employee of the local authority maintenance association Untere Oste, based in Hemmoor, a small town in northern Germany. The association maintains nearly 600km of waterways, pumping stations, polder and barrage pumping
  • Ground penetrating radar used to investigate tunnel deterioration
    May 13, 2015
    Using ground penetrating radar to determine reason for serious pavement settling in Kentucky-Tennessee tunnel Just a few years after the opening of the Cumberland Gap Tunnel, highway officials noticed moderate to severe settling of the continuously reinforced concrete pavement. The mountain tunnel provides an important link between Kentucky and Tennessee along US25E and the problem looked serious, with many voids discovered beneath the pavement surface. To investigate the problems, the Kentucky Transpor
  • Bitumen tech: innovation for decarbonisation
    June 4, 2024
    Kristina Smith examines four new products and processes, including bio-bitumen produced from algae, designed to lower the carbon footprint of asphalt mixes.