A technical research review covering polymer injection, void treatment and restoration of slab support under airport operating constraints.
A paper published in Vietnam’s Construction Journal in September 2025 reviewed technologies for treating the subgrade, subbase and structural distress of airport rigid pavement under adverse conditions. The authors devoted specific sections to polymer injection based on URETEK material and to URETEK Rigid Ground applications.
The authors are affiliated with the Vietnam Aviation Academy, Tan Son Nhat International Airport and the University of Transport and Communications. The paper provides useful technical context for airport owners, operators and consultants evaluating treatment of settlement, slab stepping and voids beneath rigid pavement.
The challenge beneath airport rigid pavement
According to the paper, increasing aircraft loads and traffic frequency, combined with adverse hydrothermal conditions, can contribute to cracking, settlement, slab stepping, mud pumping and surface distress. Water entering through joints or cracks can weaken the supporting layers, create voids and reduce uniform support beneath concrete slabs.
Airport repairs must meet technical requirements while limiting operational closure. Construction speed, targeted intervention and the time required to return an area to service are therefore critical selection criteria.
What does the research say about URETEK polymer injection?
The paper identifies polymer injection based on URETEK material as suitable for strengthening and repairing concrete slabs affected by settlement, stepping and mud pumping. The described process includes locating treatment points, drilling small holes through the slab, delivering material to the required supporting zone, and controlling injection against the specified quantity or target elevation.
The authors report rapid reaction and strength development, with the treatment filling voids beneath slabs and supporting continued or early restoration of operations. In its conclusion, the paper considers URETEK polymer injection particularly suitable where airport pavement foundations in Vietnam are affected by water saturation.
Practical relevance for airport operators
- Targeted intervention: material is delivered through small drilled holes to the treatment zone or void.
- Limited demolition: the supporting ground may be treated without necessarily removing the entire pavement structure.
- Rapid response: the approach can suit short work windows, although reopening must follow the approved design, quality controls and project-specific operational requirements.
- Controlled installation: location, depth, injected quantity and slab movement should be monitored under the approved technical method.
Important limitations
This is a review paper, not an independent controlled trial proving performance for every geological condition or type of pavement distress. The authors also identify cost and dependence on imported material as limitations. One of the paper’s references is URETEK Worldwide material; project parameters and suitability must therefore be verified through investigation, design and project-specific quality records.
Polymer injection does not replace diagnosis. Drainage defects, structural slab cracking, joint failure or loads beyond the original design may require other specialist measures. URETEK Vietnam recommends evaluating pavement condition, supporting ground, drainage and operating requirements before selecting a treatment.
Read the original research
Paper: “Research on treatment technologies for base, subbase and subgrade of airport rigid pavement under adverse conditions in the world and in Vietnam,” Construction Journal, September 2025, pp. 121–125. The paper is bilingual in its title and abstract; the main text is Vietnamese.
Related URETEK Vietnam solutions
Learn more from the URETEK Vietnam homepage, our resin-injection slab lifting solution, and an airport taxiway repair reference completed within a short work window.
Evaluating settlement, voids or stepped concrete slabs? Contact URETEK Vietnam to discuss site evidence, investigation data and operational requirements before a treatment proposal is developed.
