Viscocel Provides a Smooth Landing at Prestwick Airport

Viscocel SMA fibre was used by the Hillhouse Quarry Company for the manufacture of stone mastic asphalt (SMA) used to relay the secondary runway at Prestwick International Airport in Ayrshire. In addition to a high coefficient of friction, essential for the safe landing of aeroplanes, the SMA’s other attributes include a consistent, evenly laid surface, a degree of self-draining to prevent water build up and the durability to withstand the forces inflicted on it by 200 tonne aircraft.

Utilising coarse aggregate in the formulation to achieve the required friction coefficient, which is much higher than would be required, for example, on a typical main road or motorway, the SMA relies on Viscocel to provide a high performance binder coating that effectively holds the bitumen in the fibre lattice during the laying process and prevents it draining away from the aggregate.

This ensures a stronger bond is achieved between the bitumen and aggregate, markedly improving the finished surface’s resistance to aggregate ‘picking out’ as the runway is subjected to the enormous tearing forces imposed on it by aircraft tyres.

Having planed off the old runway surface, Hillhouse Quarry re-laid 7,800 tonnes of new SMA, incorporating the Viscocel fibre and 14mm aggregate to provide the required friction coefficient.