Phoenix introducing new product for airport runways

Phoenix Asphalt Philippines, Inc., a subsidiary of listed firm Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc., is introducing to market its new asphalt product to be used in airport runways. Phoenix Asphalt explained that its latest product called polymer modified bitumen (PMB) is a kind of bitumen with added polymer, giving it "extra strength, high cohesiveness, and resistance to fatigue, stripping, and deformations, making it a favorable material for highways and airport runways.” Phoenix Asphalt Philippines Inc. is a joint venture between businessman Dennis UY's Phoenix Petroleum and Bangkok-headquartered TIPCO Asphalt Public Co. Ltd, and PhilAsphalt Development Corporation. Already, the Uy-led firm, together with its Thai company-partner TIPCO-COLAS, recently apprised targeted customers on the technological prowess of the new asphalt product. According to Julius Jerry Aguas, general manager of Phoenix Asphalt Philippines, the event served as a venue “to impart knowledge and expertise on PMB (polymer modified bitumen) and the latest asphalt technologies for airport runways, as well as to promote the product to potential customers.” The core of participants they enticed from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) have been those from the runway design team; as well as engineers from the runway design engineering; then from the aerodrome services and maintenance departments. Part of the presentation from TIPCO-COLAS delved on “the qualities and benefits of using PMB, asphalt penetration grade 40/50, and asphalt emulsions,” and there was also discussion on airport runway asphalt solutions. The Thai firm is into manufacturing, operation, marketing and distribution of asphalt, as well as asphalt-related products and other by-products of crude oil and petroleum products that are then used in the construction and maintenance of roads, highways, airport runways plus other suite of infrastructure facilities. Phoenix Asphalt similarly indicated the technical meeting with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) “in order to introduce new technologies and asphalt materials for runway design with considerations of weather changes, load from bigger planes, and construction methods.” Expansion as well as improvement of airport facilities in the country had been identified to be among the focus of the Marcos administration for advanced infrastructure buildup.