MATERIALS ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES CORP. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: AF161-002

Description

ABSTRACT: The Air Force has requested a rapid runway repair technology that can withstand 100 passes with a C-17.The proposed concrete should cure within 6075 minutes of initial mixing to achieve the strength required to support a C-17 carrying a full load (586,000 lbs).METSS proposes a three different techniques for achieving the required ruggedness in an epoxy, vinyl or polyester within the short time frame.These methods include the use of rapid curing monomers like dicyclopentadiene, using oligomers as starting materials, and using a rapid cationic initiation mechanism.The addition of fillers like fiber glass will also greatly enhance the structural properties of the end formulation.Fiber glass, and reliance on underlying gravel and sublayer, are the basis of the current most common solution, the foldable fiber glass mats deployed for rapid runway repair efforts.METSS seeks to adapt the greatest strengths of the current foldable mats for a rapid curing polymer concrete to create the strongest and most durable rapid runway repair method possible that is easy to mix and deposit in a high stress munition damage repair situation.; BENEFIT: The intended purpose is for a quick patch to repair munitions damage and cracks and spalls in Air Force air strip pavements.Polymer concretes can be formulated to be very strong and cure rapidly for other applications, including repair for other types of pavement.Epoxies can be polyesters and could even be used in structural repairs depending on the weight of the load over the asperity to be fixed, compressive, tensile, or shear forces on damaged area, etc.