To an isolated South Pacific chain of islands that caters to tourists, a functioning airport is its lifeline. That’s why EZ Street cold asphalt, a permanent pothole repair material, was the perfect solution to a runway pavement problem at the Republic of Vanuatu’s lone commercial airport, Bauerfield International.
The airport handles planes as large as a Boeing 767, which requires runways big enough to accommodate landing gear that spans 10.9 m. As seen in these photos, a section of the landing strip pavement measuring 3 m in width and approximately 9.1 m in length needed to be replaced. Runway pavement repairs must be solid, durable and meet international aviation standards.
All of this is reason why EZ Street cold asphalt in bulk sacks was the ideal material for the job. International runway 39 and was in need of repair. At one end existed potholes and a depression had occurred in the touch down zone. We received a call in Melbourne from the airport and I flew out few weeks later to inspect. The bulk bags shipped from Melbourne 12 of these and arrived four weeks later in Vanuatu.
A compact excavator was used to clear the area of broken pavement, a forklift was used to bring in the one Tonne bulk sacks. When the area was cleaned of loose debris, two lifts were compacted in the area being repaired. The hand equipment required for this job included a jackhammer, brooms, shovels, rakes and asphalt lute. The area was prepared to a depth of 150 mm. EZ Street was placed in 50 mm layers, compacted upon each other.
EZ Street is used in many remote areas like Vanuatu where hot asphalt may not be available. As a cold mix sold in bulk sacks – which can be conveniently opened from the bottom – this product made the trip from Australia and was stored until needed. It can also be applied in wet conditions (as it was here) and still effectively tack to surrounding pavement.
The landing strip opened for incoming planes just 15 min after the job was completed – ensuring a safe landing for tourists who dependably keep the local economy humming.
