[BlackTalon]

Originally Posted by Scuba

That was pretty much my point. I just went through the pavement curing requirements for resurfacing a runway. From what I understand the weight of aircraft (and landing gear arrangement) dictates differences in pavement mix and cure times that are vastly different than surface roads. I wonder where racetrack mix falls?

Even down in SoMD when 236 was repaved, they put temporary lane striping down because it won't take paint. If it won't take paint, how compromised is the grip?

I'd venture PCA DE is their first scheduled event, and not a national series race, for a reason. Paving is subject to weather, October is the height of Hurricane season, and WV is in the NW sector of any storm that hits the Chesapeake. The asphalt plants usually start closing mid November.

Fingers crossed.

so did you have to warn pilots they may crash their planes until the paving has been down a while? And does MDOT put up signs warning drivers they are more prone to a wreck?

I suspect the answer to both is 'no'. In fact, the most limiting thing about grip at that DE may be cold(er) weather.

[N0tt0N]

Originally Posted by BlackTalon

In fact, the most limiting thing about grip at that DE may be cold(er) weather.

And leaky GT3s and their FoFo minions...

[Scuba]

Originally Posted by BlackTalon

so did you have to warn pilots they may crash their planes until the paving has been down a while?

No, the runway actually stays closed to all use until the asphalt has cured. The limiting factor, though is the fact that for our category of strip, it is not legal for use per FAA without paint markings. We're also worried about rutting the pavement by just taxiing over it - which has happened due to improper mix in MANY airfields; not sure about whether risk of rutting dictates waiting for proper cure as well.

My caution in this matter comes from a career in high-risk operations and safety planning - including a few aviation mishap investigations, some fatal. While our approach is essentially that everything we do is "at your own risk", we try to make very informed risk decisions on the front side of an event, and not do it based on faulty assumptions. Sometimes we make sure we provide the pilot all the information needed to apply the information to the multitude of situations they'll face that will require that piece of information. And sometimes, we take the decision out of their hands, and shut it down until the conditions meet an acceptable risk threshold. I recognize that its not my decision to make, nor do I not trust those whose decision it is, but there's NO WAY I'm going to just shrug it off and think "they got it" when my own spidey-sense starts tingling.

Hence, the reason I bring it up and ask for clarification from those in the know - since I admit my experience on the track is less than most here, and my experience with pavement is in a much different application. Call it what you will, but don't deny the fact that the racetrack is a high-risk operational environment with fatal consequences always in the mix - which is why we all love it in the first place. If it were boring, none of us would do it. If we wanted to be as safe as possible, we'd never turn a key.

[BlackTalon]

Rutting is typically a mix or substrate issue, but I do not know what special things they do for runway mixed.

[N0tt0N]

I suppose it depends on the specific planes as well. I recall (back in the day) that the Air Force and the Navy - same plane - would each run different landing gear configurations. The Navy's soft and bouncy. The Air Force running pressures that made the tires like steel. Apparently the services back then didn't get along as well as they do now with a Joint between them.

[N0tt0N]

Also, I think I am prepared to drive SP at Driver Pace. That's a bit under Car Pace. Which is quite a bit under Track Pace. Someone else can comment on Race Pace.

[Scuba]

Originally Posted by BlackTalon

sorry, I didn't see a question in your post, only a joke that paving might get deferred if weather goes south early...

It wasn't a joke. We've had to push a project from last fall to this spring due to the asphalt plants closing for the winter, and are having to phase a much larger one due to the plant schedules.

[Chopper Dropper]

Track surface is always changing for cars/bikes, wet, dry, temps, same advice, work your way up or times down with your particular tyres and skill level and at least in DE, a margin you and your wallet can live with. SP was originally going to pave this spring, got moved around a bit and we lost our regular October event due to repaving so were given the November dates instead. I know BT and VG and I am sure a few others are knowledgeable about asphalt mixes. I believe that some for race tracks use a fibre in the mix to bind the lateral movement more, runways would have varying requirements from landing heavy at each end and after a period of air/parachute braking would get on wheel brakes, though that order might get reversed in certain err situations!
Dirk

[Trak Ratt]

Now I'm confused even ignoring Martin's input??? Are runways asphalt??? Or is this just a segue to a segue to a previous Segue

[BlackTalon]

some runways are asphalt, and some are concrete.

...and some are water

...and some are ice

...and some are just soil