Yes, runways treated with Soil Solutions’ EBS are fully ICAO compliant. Our EBS-treated runways meet all ICAO Annex 14 specifications for surface performance, safety, and operational standards.

Compliance Specifications:

Our runways are built to achieve load-bearing capacity for specified aircraft classifications, surface friction coefficients for safe braking and acceleration, drainage requirements for all-weather operations, and surface smoothness tolerances meeting international standards.  An EBS Surface Seal is recognized as a specific a category by Cessna and meets the pavement specification for Jet landings.

Safety Requirements:

Soil Solutions ensures pavement specifications are met, and that dust control requirements for visibility during operations are achieved, surface stability under varying weather conditions is maintained, and emergency braking performance specifications are exceeded.

Certification / Compliance Process:

Soil Solutions provides engineering specifications, product information, material safety data and environmental data, surface performance validation reports, and maintenance and inspection protocols required for aviation authority certification and ICAO Compliance

Global Certification Success:

Aviation authorities in multiple countries including Bolivia, Guyana, Botswana, South Africa, Mali, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Cote d’ Ivoire, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and UAE  have certified our EBS-treated airstrips. with local pilots reporting the surface “performs like a paved runway.”

Need certified ICAO-compliant airstrip solutions? Contact Soil Solutions: www.airstripsolutions.com

The quantity of EBS required depends on runway and aerodome area measurements, insitu material, aircraft specifications, and design specification required. Soil Solutions provides precise calculations through comprehensive site assessment and materials testing and design specification that meets ICOA compliance standards.

Key Calculation Factors:

Runway Dimensions: Length, width, and total surface area including shoulders and safety zones, taxiway, Apron, parking and Hanger areas.

Treatment Depth:

• Surface Seal only: 20-50mm depth
• Base stabilization: 150-300mm depth
• Full reconstruction: Custom depth based on requirements

Soil Characteristics:

• Moisture, Density, Plasticity, and particle size

Aircraft Classification:  Surface design is based on type of Aircraft using the runway

• Light aircraft require lighter treatment specifications
• Medium aircraft need standard commercial specifications
• Heavy aircraft and jets require enhanced load-bearing treatment

Site-Specific Engineering:

Soil Solutions never provides generic estimates. Every project receives geotechnical assessment with soil samples analyzed to determine precise EBS dosage rates, mix design development with laboratory testing to establish exact EBS-to-soil ratios, aircraft load analysis to ensure specifications meet aircraft requirements, and detailed quantity calculations with precise material quantities.

Material Efficiency:

EBS treatment typically requires significantly less material volume compared to traditional aggregate importation, as it stabilizes existing in-situ matrial. This dramatically reduces material haulage, construction equipment requirements, project timelines, and overall budgets.

Get a detailed assessment of your runway. Contact Soil Solutions for site-specific engineering: www.airstripsolutions.com

Remote airstrip construction traditionally requires months of work, massive equipment mobilization, and extensive material transportation. Soil Solutions’ EBS technology enables rapid airstrip construction even in the most isolated locations.

Construction Speed Advantages:

Uses Local Materials: EBS stabilizes existing on-site soils and gravels, eliminating the need to transport tons of aggregate over long distances. If local material requires improvement, only minimal import is necessary, or complementary technologies including Airstrip liners or geotextiles may be utilized.

Minimal Equipment Requirements: EBS application requires standard road construction equipment—graders, compactors, water trucks—nothing specialized or difficult to mobilize to remote areas.

Rapid Curing: EBS-treated surfaces cure quickly, allowing aircraft operations within days rather than weeks. When required and depending upon the scope of work the runway may remain operational.

Typical Remote Construction Timeline:

Site preparation and grading (2-4 days), material processing and EBS stabilization (3-5 days), compaction and shaping (2-3 days), and EBS Surface Seal application (3-4 days). Total construction time: 10-18 days depending on runway size and conditions, additional areas and existing drainage.

Rapid airstrip construction anywhere in the world. Soil Solutions delivers fast, proven solutions: www.airstripsolutions.com

Yes, airstrips can be built to full ICAO compliance without concrete using Soil Solutions’ EBS (Engineered Base Stabilizer) technology. This methodology has been certified and approved by civil aviation authorities in multiple countries for both commercial and private aviation operations.  A EBS Sealed Surface has also been tested by Cessna and approved in accordance with their pavement specifications for Jet landings.

ICAO Compliance Achieved Through:

Soil Solutions’ EBS-treated runways meet ICAO Annex 14 specifications for load-bearing capacity, surface friction coefficients, drainage requirements, and surface smoothness tolerances. Our runways comply with, surface strength specifications, and emergency braking performance criteria.

Certification & Documentation:

Soil Solutions provides comprehensive compliance packages including design, pavement test results, markings, lighting, fencing, as may be required for aviation authority certification.

Proven Certification Record:

Aviation authorities in Bolivia, Guyana, Botswana, South Africa, Mali, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Cote d’ Ivoire, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and UAE have certified Soil Solutions’ EBS-treated airstrips as ICAO compliant. Our La Vertiente Airstrip in Bolivia received full ICAO Annex 14 certification Cessna.

Soil Solutions is available as required to work directly with our client and local aviation authorities throughout the approval process, providing all necessary documentation to ensure certification.

Need ICAO-compliant airstrip construction? Soil Solutions delivers certified solutions worldwide: www.airstripsolutions.com

Building airstrips in protected areas—national parks, game reserves, conservation zones—requires navigating complex environmental regulations and securing multiple approvals. Soil Solutions’ technology and experience make environmental approval achievable.

Environmental Approval Challenges:

Protected areas impose strict requirements including minimal environmental disturbance, zero toxic or hazardous materials or pollutants, no imported materials affecting local ecosystems, reversibility if operations cease, and minimal visual and noise impact.

Traditional concrete or asphalt construction often fails these requirements due to cement production emissions, petroleum-based materials, permanent infrastructure that can not be easily remediated , site clearing, and a larger heavy equipment component operation.

Why EBS Allows for Environmental Approval:

Non-Toxic, Environmentally Safe: EBS contains no hazardous chemicals, no petroleum products, and no toxic components. It’s safe for surrounding wildlife, vegetation, and water sources.

Uses Local Materials: EBS stabilizes existing on-site / in-situ soils, eliminating the need to import foreign materials that could introduce disrupt local ecosystems.

Reversible if Required: Unlike concrete, EBS-treated surfaces can be easily rehabilitated with natural soils and restored to natural conditions as it provides no threat to fauna and vegetation, if operations cease—a key requirement in many protected areas.

Low-Impact Construction: EBS application requires minimal equipment, shorter construction periods, and less disturbance to surrounding areas than traditional methods.

Approval Success Record:

Soil Solutions has secured environmental approvals for airstrips in game reserves in Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, and Zimbabwe, Guyana, national parks and protected areas, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and indigenous lands with strict environmental protocols.

Navigate environmental approvals successfully. Soil Solutions delivers proven conservation-friendly solutions: www.airstripsolutions.com

Poor runway surfaces directly increase aircraft maintenance costs through accelerated component wear, increased inspection requirements, and higher failure rates. Soil Solutions’ EBS-treated runways dramatically reduce these maintenance burdens.  For a detailed cost analysis request the EURO OPS Report on the Case for Sealed Runways which provide an in-depth analysis of the damage aircraft endure from un-sealed gravel runways.

How Poor Surfaces Increase Aircraft Maintenance Costs:

Rough, uneven surfaces cause excessive landing gear stress and premature component failures, propeller and engine damage from FOD impacts, and dust inhalation, tire wear from abrasive or irregular surfaces, structural fatigue from vibration and impact loads, and increased inspection frequency after operations on substandard runways.

How EBS Surfaces Reduce Maintenance:

Smooth, Even Surface: EBS creates a hard smooth surface that reduce landing gear stress, minimize vibration and impact loads, extend tire life significantly, and reduce structural fatigue on airframes.

Zero FOD Generation: An EBS surface allows (FOD) Foreign Object Debris to be easily seen which prevents possible damage.

Consistent Surface Performance: EBS maintains its smooth and durable surface for years, unlike gravel or unstabilized surfaces that deteriorate rapidly, develop ruts and potholes, and create increasing maintenance demands over time.

Maintenance Cost Reductions Reported:

Operators using EBS-treated runways report extended tire life, reduced landing gear maintenance intervals, fewer propeller reconditioning requirements, lower overall maintenance costs, and improved aircraft availability due to reduced downtime.

Reduce aircraft maintenance costs with better runways. Soil Solutions delivers proven aviation solutions: www.airstripsolutions.com

Most runway surfaces—whether grass, gravel, asphalt, or concrete—require some sort of ongoing maintenance: grading, pothole repairs, crack sealing, or surface treatments. Soil Solutions’ EBS-treated runways provide genuinely maintenance-free performance for 5-10+ years, only requiring sweeping away of any FOD.

Traditional Runway Maintenance Requirements:

Gravel Runways: Require frequent grading to maintain surface smoothness, dust control treatments (often weekly or monthly), gravel replenishment as material is lost, pothole and rut repairs, and drainage maintenance.

Asphalt Runways: Need crack sealing to prevent water infiltration, pothole patching, surface treatments every few years, periodic overlay or resurfacing, and ongoing drainage maintenance.

Concrete Runways: Require joint sealing, spall repairs, slab replacement for failed sections, and surface grinding to restore friction.

All these maintenance activities create downtime, operational disruptions, and ongoing costs.

EBS Maintenance-Free Performance:

Soil Solutions’ EBS-treated runways require zero maintenance for 5-10+ years after construction. No grading, no repairs, no treatments, no surface work—just continuous, reliable performance.

Why EBS Requires No Maintenance:

Sealed Surface: EBS creates a sealed water resistant surface. This eliminates rutting, gravel loss, potholes, and surface deterioration.

Weather Resistance: EBS surfaces resist rain erosion, freeze-thaw damage, wind degradation, and UV deterioration that plague other surface types.

Structural Integrity: EBS maintains its engineered properties indefinitely when properly constructed, with no degradation of binding, no loss of strength, and no surface breakdown.

Proven Track Record:

Soil Solutions has airstrips constructed 10-15 years ago that still operate with zero maintenance performed since original construction. Operators report no grading since construction, no surface treatments applied, no repairs required, and continuous operational availability.  Contact us to see Case Studies.

Maintenance-free runways for years. Soil Solutions delivers proven aviation solutions: www.airstripsolutions.com

Traditional asphalt runway construction involves enormous costs for materials, transportation, equipment, construction process, and ongoing maintenance. Soil Solutions’ EBS-treated runways deliver equivalent or superior performance at a fraction of the cost.

Why Asphalt Runways Are Expensive:

Asphalt requires significant material production and transportation costs, expanded construction process, specialized paving equipment, strict weather and temperature requirements limiting construction windows, high-temperature production consuming energy, ongoing maintenance including crack sealing and overlays, and eventual complete replacement.

EBS Cost Advantages:

Material Costs: An EBS Surface Seal is typically 60% less cost than using asphalt. 

Equipment Costs: EBS application uses standard road construction equipment—no specialized asphalt pavers, no hot-mix plants, no complex equipment requiring specialized operators.

Construction Speed: EBS runways are completed faster than asphalt, reducing labor costs, equipment rental periods, and site overhead.

Maintenance Costs: EBS runways require zero maintenance for years, while asphalt demands ongoing crack sealing, patching, and eventual resurfacing.

Lifespan Costs: Properly constructed EBS runways last as long or longer than asphalt with virtually no maintenance, delivering superior total cost of ownership.

Performance Equivalence:

Despite lower costs, EBS runways match or exceed asphalt in load-bearing capacity, surface smoothness, all-weather capability, safety performance, and operational reliability. Pilots frequently report EBS surfaces feel identical to asphalt during operations.   

An EBS Surface is UV protected and will not “sweat “ in hot temperatures that can allowed slippage. An EBS Surface will not be slippery in rainy conditions

Cost-effective and sustainable runway solutions worldwide. Soil Solutions delivers proven aviation solutions: www.airstripsolutions.com