Airport Pavement:

Airport pavements can be:

(a)        Flexible, and

(b)       Rigid (cement concrete).

Since cement concrete pavements have transverse and longitudinal joints, they are not preferred for runways, a flexible pavement being the preferred choice.

This is despite the fact that flexible pavements suffer from the following disadvantages:

(a)        Require frequent maintenance, and

(b)       The oil dripping from the engines and the jet blast dissolve bitumen.

For taxiways and aprons, rigid pavements are preferred, since the speeds are small and the existence of joints is not a disadvantage.