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

  • Seal of approval
    August 2, 2012
    Timely maintenance using proven cost-effective methods can extend the life of a highway by many years as Patrick smith reports Highways are expensive assets to construct, and the wear and tear of modern traffic means that regular maintenance will delay costly repairs or in extreme cases reconstruction. There are a number of methods of carrying out such maintenance, and these include the use of slurry seals and micro-surfacing, which are cold mixed asphalt which is a mixture of graded aggregate, asphalt emul
  • Naylor drains away waste water concerns
    January 26, 2017
    A bespoke waste water drainage system saved time and money on a recent UK motorway scheme Work on the London’s M25 motorway Junction 30/A13 Corridor Relieving Congestion Scheme is being undertaken by joint venture contractor Balfour Beatty/Skanska. The project is valued at nearly €91 million and completion is for autumn 2016. There has been a successful continual programme of clean-up using road-sweeper/gulley cleaning trucks to remove detritus from the works areas. Disposal of this type of waste w
  • Philipp Swarovski lays down the marker
    June 10, 2019
    Swarco’s chief operating officer Philipp Swarovski shares his thoughts on highway safety and infrastructure in an age of uncertain future needs. David Arminas reports It was in Austria in 1969 when Manfred Swarovski opened his first glass bead factory. Five years later, operations started in the US. As the years rolled by there followed acquisitions and expansion of manufacturing facilities as well as a shift into intelligent transportation systems globally. Fast forward to 2019 and the family compan
  • Advances in mobile crushing delivers cost savings
    February 29, 2012
    New and improved mobile crushing and screening equipment is focused on delivering cost/tonne reductions in aggregate production - Geoff Ashcroft reports. The level of technology being applied to mobile crushing and screening systems continues to advance, which is indicative of manufacturer confidence in this sector as one that continues to offer an economic benefit. An example of how electronic technology can lead to greater productivity can be found with KPI-JCI - the firm has introduced a high resolution