Case Study
Václav Havel Airport Runway

Rethinking Runway Performance

Building Pavements for the Next Generation of Air Travel

As global air travel continues to rise, airport infrastructure is under increasing pressure to perform without disruption. The question facing operators isn’t just how to repair aging pavements, rather how to ensure the pavements are ready for future travelers.

挑战

Infrastructure Under Pressure

Airports today operate in a constant state of demand. At Václav Havel Airport in Prague, serving over 17 million passengers annually, the rising traffic volumes combined with pavement deterioration created a critical need for modernization.

The runway surface, covering 26,000 m², needed to meet several requirements:

  • Withstand heavy and repetitive aircraft loads
  • Resist common failure modes such as cracking, rutting, and fatigue
  • Perform reliably in harsh weather conditions, including water and frost exposure
  • Be installed while the airport remained operational

This is a familiar challenge across the aviation sector. Airports worldwide are balancing growing demand with aging infrastructure, often relying on materials that were not designed for today’s operational intensity.

Solution

A Performance-Driven Solution

Rather than applying a traditional repair, the Prague project adopted a performance-based approach using stone mastic asphalt (SMA) combined with our highly modified asphalt (HiMA ™) binder, incorporating advanced polymer technology. Approximately 300 metric tons of SMA using Orbiton HiMA 25/55-80 bitumen grade were installed to rehabilitate the runway surface.

This material combination addresses the underlying limitations of conventional asphalt:

  • SMA provides a stone-on-stone aggregate structure, delivering superior load-bearing capacity and resistance to deformation.
  • HiMA technology enhances the binder with higher polymer content, improving elasticity, crack resistance, and fatigue performance.

For airport applications, this material pairing represents a change in pavement engineering where surfaces experience high stress and slow-moving loads.

Impact

Shifting Performance Expectations

Advanced asphalt systems like HiMA are helping redefine what long-term pavement performance looks like. The real value of this solution isn’t just meeting today’s requirements; it is redefining long-term performance expectations to extend the pavement service life.

  • Increased resistance to rutting and cracking under heavy traffic.
  • Improved durability against environmental stressors like water infiltration and freezing temperatures.
  • Extended service life, reducing the need for structural repairs.

For airport operators, this means fewer disruptions, lower lifecycle costs, and more reliable infrastructure, which is critical in an industry where downtime is non-negotiable.

Partner(s):

Orbiton Asphalt, Skanska Construction

Market(s):
Product(s):
Conclusion

From Reactive to Predictive Infrastructure

This project reflects a broader shift in infrastructure strategy, from reactive maintenance to proactive, performance-based design.

Instead of optimizing upfront cost alone, decision-makers are prioritizing materials that:

  • Extend service life
  • Reduce maintenance frequency
  • Support continuous operation

In this context, advanced materials are not incremental upgrades; they are foundational to building more resilient, future-ready infrastructure.

With its upgraded runway surface, Václav Havel Airport is now better equipped to handle continued passenger growth while maintaining safe and efficient operations. More importantly, the project offers a scalable model for airports worldwide navigating similar pressures, demonstrating that performance-driven materials can deliver both immediate results and long-term value.

As aviation demand continues to rise, the industry must rethink how it approaches infrastructure investment.

The opportunity is clear to shift away from repairs to proactive, performance-based solutions that support both growth and resilience.

Download Case Study

相关产品和信息

ORBITON HiMA at Václav Havel Airport in Prague 道面铺装 Kraton D 联系方式

延伸阅读

探索更多见解、新闻和成功案例。