Cleveland Hopkins Airport De-icing Area

PROJECT SCOPE

The GEOWEB® Load Support System was utilized for a 1.3 million sq ft. de-icing area at the Cleveland Hopkins Airport. The system serves as a construction support platform over marginal subgrades and a highly permeable structural drainage layer for the 30-acre de-icing site. Confinement in the interconnected cells stabilizes aggregate so it can handle the heavy loads of construction and commercial aircraft.

• Develops a structurally stable aggregate drainage system for groundwater and supports the impervious membranes that prevent the possibility of groundwater contamination.
• Stabilizes aggregate so it can handle the heavy loads of construction and commercial aircraft.
• Controls surface rutting and distribute heavy wheel loads.
• Functions as a drainage layer when backfilled with an open aggregate.
• Cost-effective alternative to conventional concrete or bituminous concrete.

GEOWEB LOAD SUPPORT SYSTEM STRUCTURAL BENEFITS

• Confines aggregates, preventing shear failure and both lateral and vertical movement of the infill material.
• Creates a stiff load distribution system, effectively reducing subgrade contact pressures and vertical deflections.
• Controls differential and total settlement over low-strength subgrades.
• The thickness and weight of confined vs. unconfined structural support systems may be reduced by 50 percent or more.

GEOWEB SYSTEM ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

• Eliminates the need for excessive excavation while increasing structural capacity, which saves construction costs.
• The permeable system minimizes surface runoff and maximizes groundwater replenishment.
• Functions as a natural stormwater retention system with storage capacity, allowing water to fill the aggregate voids and permeate into the existing ground.
• Supports the weight of vehicles and greatly reduces the compaction of underlying soils.
• Cell wall perforations facilitate lateral cell-to-cell drainage beneath traffic areas, resulting in better performance in oversaturated soils.
• The stability of the permeable pavement surface translates to a reduction in maintenance costs.