Durability, Value of Concrete Seen at Small Mississippi Airport

When Rud Robison, AIA, of Pryor & Morrow Architects designed a concrete parking lot 33 years ago for the Tupelo, MS, Regional Airport, he was unaware of exactly what value he would be bringing the local airport authority. Robison (shown below) was an intern in 1982, working with the firm of A. J. Staub III and Associates in Tupelo. The concrete was supplied by NRMCA Producer member B&B Concrete at 5" thick. Even though the parking lot has endured 33 years of freeze/thaw cycles and usage, it remains in great condition. The adjacent terminal was torn down and replaced but the parking lot remained.

Robison chose concrete as the pavement type because "asphalt was expensive in 1982 and concrete appeared to be more cost effective. B&B Concrete is only about two miles from the construction site. I seem to recall that the project was designed and bid for both asphalt paving and concrete paving. I recall that the concrete design was bid at the least cost. Our research indicated that properly designed and constructed concrete could offer greater durability and possibly longer life. This was Mr. Staub's and my first attempt at using unreinforced concrete paving."

"Proper use and design of concrete paving is one of the most important lessons that a young architect can learn," Staub added. "I had the good fortune to have learned this early in my career. Today, I still use the concrete design skills that I learned in 1982."

For more information, contact Amy Miller at amiller@nrmca.org.