Effects of Diamond Grinding on Airfield Concrete Pavements

Abstract: Diamond grinding of concrete pavements involves the use of a series of diamond saw blades and spacers stacked together to cut the pavement surface to a shallow depth, giving the pavement surface a “corduroy” appearance in the direction of traffic. Grinding is permitted in both Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and United Facilities Criteria (UFC) specifications, with slight variations on maximum allowable depth and grind area. On airfield concrete pavements, it is used to meet smoothness specifications (a.k.a. bump grinding), correct grade issues or surface drainage problems, correct surface issues due to construction/material deficiencies, restore transverse grooves (i.e., grind off existing and re-groove), improve friction, and extend service life (grinding at regular intervals).

The performance of diamond ground airfield concrete pavements is not well documented. Limited documentation includes a few cases where diamond ground surfaces were associated with foreign object debris (FOD), despite the pavements in question also featuring poor concrete mixtures and/or distresses associated with inadequate finishing/curing (e.g., popouts, flaking). In addition to the concerns raised in limited site reports, there remains an agency/owner concern that grinding deeper than 0.50 inches (12 mm) (FAA maximum) or 0.25 inches (6 mm) (UFC maximum) compromises the structural response of the slab (i.e., lost effective thickness and flexural rigidity) and increases the risk of popouts (i.e., FOD) due to suspected loss of embedment of near-surface coarse aggregates.

This project captured the effects of diamond grinding on airfield concrete pavements through a literature review, interviews (airports, engineers, contractors), and site visits. Site visits were conducted at eleven airports across the United States and one in Canada. The age of these ground surfaces ranged from a few months to over 20 years and are generally performing very well. This presentation will highlight project findings and provide an overview of the forthcoming guidebook on airfield concrete diamond grinding. The guidebook is intended for use by airport personnel, engineers, and contractors and is expected to be published in late 2025.

This project is sponsored by FAA’s Airport Concrete Pavement Technology Program, administered by Iowa State University.