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NEWS

John Emery

Eur Ing. John Emery BA Hons, C.Eng. FIHT

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of John Emery, a pioneering and passionate advocate of concrete block paving who was well respected throughout the international paving community and whose humour and warmth will be missed by all those who knew him.

John Emery lived for aircraft pavements and concrete block paving. He gained his initial aircraft pavements experience working on the runway and taxiways at Belize after which he joined Luton Borough Council, then owners of Luton Airport to oversee improvements to the airport infrastructure. At Luton, he was responsible for the world's first use of concrete block paving on aircraft stands, taxiways and runways.

Following privatisation of Luton Airport, he established his consulting practice in 1989 specialising in concrete block paving and aircraft pavements. He was instrumental in developing innovative products and materials for concrete block paving, both in aircraft pavements and in other challenging applications. During this time, he published many research papers and was a well respected figure within the developing field of concrete block paving.

He was a long-term supporter of SEPT and has written and presented over 20 papers at International Conferences and Workshops in the Netherlands, Italy, Israel, USA, Norway, Columbia and Singapore. His work took him to many parts of the world where his unique ability to disseminate complex engineering matters endeared him to all of those with whom he came into contact. Many will also have enjoyed his enduring sense of fun and kind, welcoming nature.

pope arriving at luton airport

John Emery mischievously claimed both Royal and Papal approval of concrete block paving with the then Pope’s first footstep in the UK at Luton Airport.