NEWS: Department of Defense Comprehensive Evaluation of GSB-88® Sealer Binder COMPLETED.
Asphalt Systems Inc. and Department of Defense working together!
OPERATIONAL AND AIRFIELD READINESS — JOB 1
DOD's mission is to keep our nation's armed forces ready to deploy, to defend America at a moment's notice. Rapid mobilization is critical to our safety. This means constant airfield readiness, which is an ASI specialty.
DOD Naval Facilities Command has added one standard treatment to the Unified Facilities Guide Specification (UFGS). That treatment is ASI's environmentally friendly, gilsonite-enhanced, emulsified sealer-binder-rejuvenator product: GSB-88®
GSB-88® is the ONLY recommended product for maintaining DOD’s most mission-critical assets — the runways and high-speed taxiways of its airbases and aviation facilities around the world. Here's why:
It dries quickly. GSB-88® applies simply and easily, and dries quickly. This allows critical paved areas to stay open and operable. Planes and people can move swiftly, with little down time for runways and taxiways.
It saves money. When applied on a regular and timely basis, GSB-88 can safely and effectively keep well-engineered, well-constructed asphalt pavement in serviceable condition almost indefinitely. Over time, it saves $3.50 for every $1 invested.
It is green. GSB-88® is in compliance with Executive Order 13514, which directs all Federal agencies to support products that meet carbon reduction goals. An EPA-sponsored product life cycle analysis of GSB-88® found a significant carbon footprint reduction through two primary means:, first, by reducing carbon dioxide related to the mining of aggregate and the refining of petroleum; and second, by eliminating the use of the natural resources themselves. Furthermore, ASI is presently complying with International Environmental Product Declaration Standards pursuant to ISO 14025 and ISO 21930.
Reduction of FOD a Priority
Foreign Object Damage (FOD) on an airfield is a constant concern. Potential cost of damage to turbine engines and airframes, as well as the possible loss of life, are risks that must be minimized. In the context of pavements, FOD is nothing more than surface aggregate that has come loose from the pavement. Weathering cycles and UV rays dry out and weaken asphalt, and are FOD’s principal enablers. Our products are engineered to fight these natural factors, maintain surface adhesion, and hence defeat FOD.
GSB-88® is engineered to serve at the top of the pavement deterioration curve, helping maintain good quality pavement in top condition. This dramatically reduces the damaging effects of surface oxidation. As noted above, surface oxidation is the primary factor in most asphalt pavement deterioration, especially on low traffic pavements such as runways and taxiways. This is where GSB-88® excels. With early application of inexpensive GSB-88® to newer pavements, and reapplication every 3 to 5 years, useful life expectancy for low load roads and many other pavements will be significantly extended.
10 years testing and evaluation by DOD
In September of 2002 the U. S. Army Corp of Engineers, Geo-technical and Structures Laboratory, Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS completed a two year laboratory and field evaluation of GSB-88®. Based in part on the recommendations made in that report, Congress allocated funding in FY-05 for application and evaluation of GSB-88® on Navy/DOD airfields through the Office of Naval Research and NAVFAC pavement specialists. Applications were performed 2006 thru 2008 on widely varying airfield pavements in climates as diverse as PA, FL, NC, NV, CA, and HI. Final report (157 pages) is now published and available to US Government agencies and their contractors. A five page “Review” of the report by the report’s author can be accessed here.
GSB-88® is listed in DOD’s Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS) for general use on all types of DOD asphalt pavement, but it is especially singled out as an effective preventive maintenance treatment on runways and high speed taxiways.
Preventative maintenance a priority
GSB-88® Sealer/Binder is engineered to significantly retard surface oxidation by rebinding the surface aggregate and protect the pavement binder from the natural surface oxidation process. Surface oxidation is far and away the greatest deteriorating factor on the majority of DOD airfields. Most DOD asphalt airfield pavements are extremely well designed and constructed and are unlikely to deteriorate dramatically from load issues, rather it is the surface exposure and aging that weakens the surface binder reducing its ability to hold the aggregate and in some cases causing asphalt Foreign Object Debris (FOD) which can be seriously detrimental to aircraft and flight personnel.
DOD and FAA MicroPAVER data has demonstrated GSB-88®’s ability to extend the useful life of asphalt airfield pavements generally between 25-50% with a single application. Multiple applications show even better life extension. In addition, data shows preservation benefits are increased by applying GSB-88® to pavements while they are in “Good” to “Satisfactory” condition.
Weathered and deteriorated pavements also important
The DOD has numerous older airfield pavements that must be repaved, reconstructed, or reduced to limited or no use. Although GSB-88® provides no increase in structural benefits, it can often significantly retard further surface deterioration that may lead to greater structural damage. In such cases, a heavier and less diluted application of GSB-88® may make a significant difference in an older pavements degree of readiness, or delay the need for repaving, or reconstruction, until proper engineering and funding can be obtained. For example, in 2006 at NAS Fallon, NV the Inboard runway was showing premature binder failure and creating potentially serious asphalt FOD issues. After other material and technology had failed to resolve the problem a heavy application of GSB-88® was applied to the runway in September of 2006. Thirty days after application GSB-88® was observed to be holding the aggregate in place and the runway was returned to full readiness and able to maintain that readiness for the 18 months needed for engineering and funding.
Roads and parking lots also a key factor
If the roads leading in and out of a post are weathered and deteriorated, the overall performance rating of an installation can suffer. Initial impressions are often lasting impressions. Fair or not, an installation’s roads and parking lots are often taken to be a reflection of readiness on the flight line. Too often these pavements are overlooked due to scarce O&M funding, but the longer these assets are neglected, the more costly the correction process becomes.
As a consequence, ASI offers airbase commanders an inexpensive preservation program for roads and parking lots in conjunction with its airfield work. Since ASI equipment and work crews are already in place for the treatment of air-side pavement, additional work can be done quickly and relatively cheaply for land-side assets at the same time. When followed with sufficient discipline, the combined program can greatly reduce the overall costs of pavement infrastructure, while it can significantly improve the appearance and quality of the facility’s operation.
Professional service a priority
GAO-03-753 report on “Opportunities to Reduce Corrosion Costs and Increase Readiness” encourages the DOD to be more aggressive in preventive maintenance and preservation of critical DOD assets. Understanding that the DOD has more asphalt pavement within its infrastructure than the entire US Interstate Highway System makes aggressive preservation even more critical. The simple “Repair and Replace” philosophies of the past are currently unsustainable and a more knowledgeable and aggressive asphalt preservation program is called for. GSB-88® has demonstrated cost saving preservation, safety, and environmental benefits proven over decades with hundreds of FAA and DOD airfield applications including more than 170 runways.
Asphalt Systems efficiently applies GSB-88® to the pavement using a tank truck mounted computer controlled asphalt distributor system that has been modified to allow a thin coat of hard, sharp sand to be applied in a single-pass operation, as seen in the pictures below.
 
Pavement preparation for application of GSB-88® consists of ensuring that the pavement is clean enough so that the material can easily penetrate the surface asphalt binder. Most active airfield pavements are maintained in a state of cleanliness adequate for GSB-88® purposes, but for main runways, rubber removal is sometimes undertaken prior to application. In other areas, such as seldom used taxiways, ramps and shoulders, there may be a need to sweep or otherwise clean the pavement surface. Also, debris and mud must be removed from all pavements prior to treatment.
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