simple surface improvements. Modern jets lack the protective gear that allowed older planes to deflect gravel from engines and fuselages. Traditional solutions offer little hope. “There’s always the idea of concrete pavement, but that’s not practical or workable,” Vitale explains. “There’s the possibility of asphalt runways, but because of climatic conditions and permafrost, that may not be workable either.” Permafrost thaw, now affecting vast stretches of the Northern Region, would buckle and crack conventional pavement within seasons. Andrews frames the company’s objective simply: “We want to do what we can to support communities and extend the longevity of existing gravel runways and improve surface quality so they can be managed and supported by larger aircraft.” The approach involves creating surfaces dense enough to eliminate loose material while maintaining flexibility to accommodate ground movement. “We are looking with our system to create a runway that might qualify to service new modern aircraft,” Vitale notes. The two-to-four-inch blended applications represent the frontier of this effort, transforming gravel into surfaces that meet modern aviation standards without the prohibitive costs and impracticality of traditional pavement in Arctic conditions. THE LONG GAME OF INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIPS Northern infrastructure projects unfold across timelines that would astonish southern developers. A runway reconstruction that might take months to 125 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 08 MIDWEST INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY, INC.
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