Presented are the owner's and the consultant's perspectives on the development, design, and evaluation of key issues involved with construction of a rollercompacted concrete (RCC) pavement at Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon. RCC has been used in the past for pavements that support heavy wheel loads, but this parking apron is the first use of it as a surface pavement for commercial jet aircraft in the United States. The loading conditions and other factors that led to the selection of RCC as an alternative to conventional asphalt-concrete (AC) pavement are discussed. Federal Aviation Administration methodology was used to develop pavement sections for both RCC and AC pavements. Specifications were developed to improve surface tolerances, smoothness, and joint control, and a method was devised to test field density. Bids were accepted for both alternatives and the six low bidders offered the RCC option at a lower cost than the AC option. The lowest RCC bid was 32 percent under the lowest AC bid.

The Port of Portland, Oregon, retained CH2M HILL to design an 8-acre aircraft parking apron at Portland International airport (PDX) for passenger jets. Portland cement concrete (PCC), roller-compacted concrete (RCC), and asphalt concrete (AC) were studied as pavement alternatives. Plans and specifications were prepared and alternative bids received for RCC and AC pavements. Port of Portland officials selected the RCC alternative and awarded the contract in May 1985; paving began in August 1985. In this paper the evaluation process, the design of the RCC and AC pavements, bid results, mix design, and key construction issues considered during the design are outlined.