Airports
Challenge
Luton Airport needed to prevent slab failures on newly expanded taxiways. Voiding beneath slabs risked cracking, unscheduled closures, and disruption penalties for airline operations.
Solution
Geobear project-managed GPR surveys, validated voiding through coring, and designed targeted stabilisation. This refined the treatment area and prepared taxiways for increased aircraft traffic during expansion.
Ground-penetrating radar used across entire expansion zone
Voids detected beneath new slabs
Geobear validation refined true treatment area to just 1.2% of total
Geobear previously stabilised 100 slabs at Luton Airport in 2018. When new taxiways were planned as part of operational expansion, Luton sought guidance on future maintenance risk.
Working on a consultancy basis with the client and their engineering partner, Geobear recommended a preventative maintenance strategy. This would allow the airport to stabilise slabs before they were brought into heavy aircraft use, reducing the likelihood of slab cracking, movement, or costly unscheduled closures.
The approach would also protect Luton Airport from disruption penalties associated with unplanned maintenance affecting airline operations.
The Problem: Newly expanded taxiway slabs risked cracking or failure once exposed to heavy aircraft loading.
The Barrier: Without pre-emptive validation and strengthening, the airport risked unscheduled maintenance closures, operational disruption, and penalty charges from airlines.
The Need: A precise, data-driven method to detect voiding and stabilise only the areas requiring treatment — without unnecessary cost or disruption.
Project Management of GPR Surveys: Geobear shortlisted three GPR specialists and facilitated the final selection with Luton Airport and their engineer.
Comprehensive Scanning: GPR surveys of 100,000 m² identified 3,500 m² of potential voiding beneath new slabs.
Geobear Validation: Our teams cored five points per flagged slab and used inspection cameras to confirm real voids.
Refined Treatment Area: This process accurately reduced the stabilisation zone to 1,200 m², avoiding unnecessary works.
Stabilisation Design: Geobear produced a full geopolymer injection proposal to strengthen the validated areas ahead of future aircraft traffic.
The stabilisation works were scheduled for completion following full expansion approval.
Avoided unnecessary works — validation reduced treatment area by 66%, saving time and budget.
Improved reliability — taxiways were prepared to handle future aircraft loading safely.
Minimised disruption — early intervention avoided unplanned closures once taxiways entered service.
Better design data — Luton Airport gained precise ground condition insights for long-term pavement planning.
This programme demonstrated the value of preventative ground engineering in major aviation infrastructure upgrades.
Get in touch with our expert team today and discover how Geobear can extend the life of your critical infrastructure assets.
