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Abstract

Airport pavement construction in developing countries faces critical challenges balancing international performance standards with economic constraints, while limited research exists on optimizing air-entrained concrete mixes using locally sourced materials for cost-effective solutions. This study investigated the development of economical air-entrained concrete mix designs for airport pavements utilizing Pakistani aggregates and systematic cement content optimization. Comprehensive experimental evaluation included material characterization through petrographic analysis, alkali-aggregate reactivity assessment via accelerated mortar bar testing, and mechanical property development across cement contents from 360-450 kg/m3. Air entrainment was achieved through controlled admixture dosing while maintaining target slump of 50mm. Results demonstrated that locally sourced materials achieved flexural strength up to 9.2 MPa at 90 days, more than twice the minimum FAA requirements and significantly exceeding military specifications, while maintaining material costs between $80.61 to $88.94 per cubic meter. Accelerated testing confirmed non-reactive aggregates behaviour with 0.099% expansion. However, durability performance was inferred primarily alkali-aggregate reactivity assessment and was not directly validated through freeze-thaw or corrosion resistance testing. The research establishes that international airport pavement standards can be achieved in developing countries through strategic material selection and mix optimization, providing cost-effective infrastructure solutions while challenging assumptions about local material quality limitations in resource-constrained environment.

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