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Theoretical quantification of sustainable concrete options for airport pavements
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Theoretical quantification of sustainable concrete options for airport pavements

Loretta Newton-Hoare and Greg White
Transportation Research Procedia, Vol.99, pp.334-342
Theoretical quantification of sustainable concrete options for airport pavements, 12th (Ljubljana, Slovenia, 22-Jun-2026–24-Jun-2026)
2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2026.07.062
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Abstract

airfield airport by-product cement concrete pavement recycled rigid sustainable waste
Rigid airport pavement concrete mixtures have traditionally been produced with virgin natural aggregates and ordinary Portland cement, limiting opportunities for sustainable material use in Australia. However, growing emphasis on sustainability and carbon reduction has highlighted the need to incorporate industrial by-products and recycled materials into airport pavement concrete. This research estimated the environmental and financial cost of airport pavement concretes containing supplementary cementitious materials, recycled concrete aggregate, and blast furnace slag aggregates, which are materials already permitted by some road and airport pavement specifications. Results showed that ordinary Portland cement concrete had the highest embodied carbon, while geopolymer cement concrete was associated with an 83% carbon reduction, albeit at a 10% cost premium. It was concluded that significant embodied carbon and cost savings can be achieved in concrete mixtures for airport pavements in Australia, just by allowing the use of materials already allowed by other jurisdictions. For example, mixtures containing high proportions of supplementary cementitious materials permitted under U.S. specifications achieved carbon reductions of 45% and 41%, with financial savings of 4% and 15% respectively. Furthermore, a 40% fly ash mixture, already allowed by some Australian and U.K. specifications, reduced embodied carbon by 37% and cost by 5%. Additionally, while recycled concrete aggregate and blast furnace slag aggregates had slightly higher embodied carbon than virgin aggregates, they can deliver broader sustainability benefits by conserving natural resources, reducing landfill demand and reducing cost. These findings demonstrate the importance of specifications that allow waste and recycled materials and their contribution to sustainable airport pavement practice.

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