Soil Solutions was contacted by FRI-EL Ethiopia Farming and Processing PLC to provide a solution for the upgrade of their runway at their farm where they are growing cotton, bananas and vegetables. In line with their vision of supporting local economic growth and development in a sustainable and socially aware manner to become the leading, most innovative, and eco-friendly cotton farming and agri-business in Ethiopia they wanted an environmentally friendly solution. The runway was constructed many years ago and has not been properly maintained resulting in an uneven surface with erosion issues and material loss. In addition, the runway surface has deteriorated, and the surface is covered in loose gravel and stones. These stones are small and light enough to be sucked up into the propellers and cause damage to the aircraft.
A complete site inspection was conducted and upon inspection it was decided that with the correct earthworks being conducted the most suitable solution would be the application of an EBS Surface Seal. The earthworks are being conducted by the client with the remote supervision from Soil Solutions technical representatives and upon completion of all earthworks the EBS Surface Seal will be applied under the same technical supervision.
The EBS Surface Seal will provide a runway which will be compliant with all industry standards and Civil Aviation requirements with an an increased safety factor requiring a decrease of on-going maintenance requirements, while delivering a reduced environmental impact.
