Every landing leaves a thin layer of tyre rubber on the runway. It concentrates in the touchdown zones, the same areas where braking and directional control matter most. As rubber accumulates it fills the surface texture, and the friction available to a landing aircraft falls. The effect is worst in the wet, when reduced friction lengthens braking distance and raises the risk of a runway excursion.
Removing that rubber on a planned cycle keeps friction within your regulated thresholds and keeps the runway safe through the seasons when you need it most.
RETEX removes rubber using truck-mounted high-pressure water blasting. The system strips rubber from the surface without chemicals and without cutting into the pavement, so macrotexture and any grooving are preserved. Water-only removal also keeps the process clean from an environmental standpoint, in line with the way RETEX delivers all of its work.
The same approach lifts paint and other surface contaminants, which is why rubber removal often runs alongside line marking removal and aviation surface cleaning in a single mobilisation.
Rubber removal is only finished when the numbers prove it. RETEX pairs removal with runway friction testing, measuring friction before work to confirm where removal is needed, and again afterwards to verify the surface is back within specification. You get audit, removal and verification from one contractor, with a single chain of reporting your engineers and auditors can rely on.
Surface friction is a regulated safety threshold under CASA and ICAO frameworks. RETEX delivers rubber removal as part of meeting your maintenance planning and minimum friction obligations, and documents the work so it supports your compliance reporting and safety case.
Airside work cannot come at the cost of runway availability. RETEX schedules removal into your maintenance windows and works around the movement program with your operations team, so the runway returns to service quickly, whether the job is planned maintenance or a reactive safety response.
The rubber and water lifted from the surface have to go somewhere. RETEX captures and manages the resulting waste responsibly, and can fold liquid waste recovery into the same job where the site calls for it, which keeps your environmental obligations covered without a second contractor on the apron.
RETEX is one of Australia’s most established specialist rubber removal contractors, with rubber removal and friction testing delivered for airports including Brisbane and Canberra, and project experience spanning commercial and regional aerodromes nationwide.
Will rubber removal damage the runway surface or reduce texture depth?Â
No. RETEX uses non-destructive high-pressure water, with pressure and technique controlled to strip rubber while leaving the pavement and its macrotexture intact. Preserving texture depth is the point of the work, since that texture is what delivers friction.
Do you use chemicals, or just water?Â
Water. RETEX removes rubber with high-pressure water blasting and no chemical agents, which protects the surface and keeps the process clean environmentally.
How much runway downtime does rubber removal require?Â
RETEX works within your scheduled maintenance windows and around the movement program, so the runway is out of service for as little time as possible. The scope and area determine the window, which we plan with your operations team.
Do you verify friction levels after removal?Â
Yes. RETEX friction tests after removal to confirm the surface is back within your regulated thresholds, and can test beforehand to pinpoint where removal is needed. Audit, removal and verification are handled together.
How is the removed rubber and waste water managed?Â
RETEX captures and disposes of the rubber and water responsibly, and can include licensed liquid waste recovery in the same mobilisation where required, so your environmental obligations are met on site.
How do we know when a runway is due for rubber removal?Â
Friction testing tells you. When measured friction in the touchdown zones approaches your maintenance planning level, it is time to schedule removal. RETEX can test, advise on timing, and carry out the removal.
Tell us your aerodrome and your runway condition, and our team will scope a rubber removal program that restores friction and keeps the runway available.
Tell us what you’re looking for, and we will be in touch.
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