July 06--NICEVILLE -- A new type of asphalt that could soon have a dramatic impact on airports around the world got its start in Northwest Florida.
AVCON, a Niceville-based engineering and planning firm, has partnered with Dr. Bob Boyer, a retired engineer from the Asphalt Institute who lives in Lynn Haven, to develop a new asphalt that is performs better at high temperatures, is stiffer and fuel resistant.
"We're taking something that's worked good for years and just modifying it slightly with a better binder," said Lee Lewis, regional manager for AVCON. "It really is a better asphalt. The fuel-resistant properties turned out to be more of a coincidence."
Most asphalt roads, runways and parking lots are made from a combination rock, air and a binder.
AVCON's new asphalt mix uses smaller pieces of rock than traditional asphalt and plastic is added to make it more rigid.
Although the new mix cost about 8 percent more than traditional asphalt, Lewis said it is expected to last 30 percent longer and reduce the amount of maintenance cost in the future.
The first major test of the new asphalt formula came in 2012 when AVCON repaved the north apron at the Bob Sikes Airport.
Since that time, the company has also repaved part of the Herlong Regional Airport in Jackson and the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in Panama City, a project that was completed in May.
"We took precautions on it, but this stuff performed way better than even we even expected it would," Lewis said.
The Federal Aviation Administration has already taken notice of the new mix and included it in its draft of new construction specifications for areas where the pavement is subjected to fuel spills. A decision on approving the draft is expected this year.
AVCON and Boyer have not tried to patent the new mix to make sure it is available to any company that lays asphalt.
"This is a non-proprietary product," Lewis said. "This is on the market. Anybody can put it down."
Copyright 2014 - Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach
