Industry, FAA officials meet to discuss aggregate specs

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants to update its specifications for aggregate used in airport runways over the next year, the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) reports.

According to NSSGA, operators currently face inconsistent interpretation of aggregate specifications when producing materials for runways across the United States.

“With new specifications coming out by the end of next year, it is essential that contractors, consulting engineers and regional FAA offices are familiar with the updates and follow them,” says Michele Stanley, NSSGA director of government affairs. “Otherwise confusion ensues and what is required in one instance might not be in another case.”

In their recent meeting, FAA pavement engineers and NSSGA members discussed the physical and chemical characteristics of aggregate for runways, as well as size requirements and sampling and testing processes. Darin Matson, president and CEO of Rogers Group Inc. who serves NSSGA’s Engineering and Technical Committee as chairman, presented ways to streamline FAA’s sampling and testing processes.