28 AIRFIELD MAINTENANCE October 2026 AirportImprovement.com BHM | FAT | LAA | SCX | SGU | SKX The anticipated AC changes emphasize this preservation evolution. Industry watchers expect P-608 and the draft P-608H specifications to become P-628, while P-608-R is expected to become P-628-R. Charlie Miller, a regional manager with Asphalt Systems Inc., explains that the renumbering reflects FAA’s effort to consolidate pavement preservation specifications within the P-620 series while incorporating the heavier preservation treatment that has been proven through field applications. Previously, many airports delayed action because newly constructed pavement appeared to be performing as expected. Treatments were often applied only after visible distress such as oxidation or raveling became evident. Some airport owners and operators continue to underestimate how quickly oxidation begins after construction. “Most people think because the pavement is new that it doesn’t need protection from the elements. However, new pavement is just as susceptible to aging as older pavements,” Miller says. “A pavement going from 100 to 80 PCI [Pavement Condition Index] will still look great, but you lost 20 points of PCI and didn’t start flattening the deterioration curve earlier, meaning the life of the pavement will be shorter.” Sooner Than Later Scott County Airport (SCX) in Oneida, TN, opted for prompt preservation when reconstructing its runway in 2022. Rather than waiting several years, airport leadership chose to have crews apply a construction seal almost immediately as part of its long- term management strategy. David Glass, a civil engineer with Goodwyn Mills Cawood, says the design team incorporated an FAA P-608 construction seal into the overall runway rehabilitation project rather than treating preservation as a separate maintenance activity later. Glass says the newly constructed runway was an ideal candidate for preventive maintenance because the surface was free of significant cracking, rutting and other distress. Applying the construction seal immediately after construction helped reduce pavement permeability, minimize early oxidation and preserve the airport’s initial investment, he explains. Airport Manager Hank Duvall describes the decision as a no-brainer, because it will extend the life of the pavement and support long-term capital planning. “It should help so we can save up enough to do full paving,” he says. According to Manning, the effects can be significant. “If you start preservation early and continue to preserve routinely, an airfield asphalt pavement’s life can be extended for decades,” he says. “We have examples of pavements lasting 35+ years and likely will last 40 to 45 years before needing rehabilitation or reconstruction.” Although LJA was not involved with this particular project, Beckhoff recommends applying the first P-608 preservation treatment approximately three years after a new runway is constructed, followed by reapplications every four to five years. He also suggests sealing cracks much more frequently because open cracks accelerate pavement deterioration. Preserving Service Schedules, Too For many commercial airports, deciding to preserve airfield pavement is easy. However, finding time to complete the work is much more difficult because airlines understandably oppose extended runway closures. Advances in pavement preservation materials have helped address that challenge. Rapid-curing treatments now allow preservation projects to be completed during overnight closure windows—facilitating project schedules that would have been impossible only a few years ago. “P-608-R (soon to be P-628-R) was developed for airports that cannot shut down airfields or runways for 24 hours,” Miller explains. That was the case at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) in Alabama, which opted to apply a fast- curing treatment on Runway 6-24 during a series of short overnight closure periods rather than a single, longer closure. This allowed commercial carriers to maintain their daytime operations as usual. CHARLIE MILLER HANK DUVALL DAVID GLASS PHOTO: RS&H Crews at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Int’l used a fast-curing treatment and worked during short overnight runway closures.
View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.