Rapid penetrating emulsions (RPE) are used to fill asphalt pavement voids and reduce air and water intrusion. Asphalt Materials Inc.’s (AMI) AMIGUARD™ RPE is specially formulated to penetrate pavement quickly and thoroughly. Its reduced surface tension allows it to seep into the pavement voids quickly, and the penetrating nature of RPE means the asphalt residue gets “in” the pavement rather than “on” the pavement. Air voids adversely affect pavement life, and proactively reducing pavement permeability extends pavement life. 

Recently the AMI team supported a full-width RPE application at Eagle Creek Airpark alongside Grady Brothers, Inc. and Milestone Contractors.

Project Details 

  • Applicator: Grady Brothers, Inc. 
  • Contractor: Milestone Contractors              
  • Location: Indianapolis, IN 
  • Date Constructed: July 7, 2023 

Application 

Full-width RPE was chosen to remedy the low-density pavement on Eagle Creek Airpark’s northern lot and hangar taxiways. AMI and Heritage Research Group personnel performed pre-application permeability tests on eight locations across the pavement that compared the permeability of untreated areas and test patch areas. The results showed a decrease in permeability in most test sections.

Curb edging
Entry drive application
North half of parking lot
TL4 application
TL5 application
TL5 application

Milestone applied 1,800 gallons of RPE to 22,000 square yards of pavement starting at 8:30 a.m. on July 7. The material was sprayed around the concrete curbs in the parking lot area using a hand wand. Plywood boards were moved along the edges to prevent any overspray onto the concrete, and a broom was used to minimize any running into the curb areas. The full-width application started at 9 a.m. at the front entry gate, followed by application on the north half of the parking lot.  

At 9:25 a.m. application began at the north hangar taxiway (TL5), and it was completed by 10:05 a.m. 

This was followed by applications in TL4 and TL3, working southbound. TL4 and TL3 were completed by 11:00 a.m. The remaining areas – TL2, TL1, access taxiway, and southern half of the parking lot – were completed by 12:20 p.m. Striping was completed the next week on July 14. 

Post-application striping
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