Do runways need some special kind of tar or protective layer?
Airport designers may use any type of material, based on construction research status and local meteorological conditions. Pavements may be flexible or rigid. There is no single technique to protect against wear and tear, and none specific to airports, this is similar to regular road construction.

Information on pavement types at Texas Dept of Transportation.
E.g. a rigid pavement:



FAA provides advisories to help designers. ICAO requires airports to report their pavement characteristics.


(source: Detroit Free Press)

FAA documentation related to pavement design:


Pavement Design &amp; Construction
Airport Pavement Design and Evaluation


ICAO requires member states to report aerodrome-related aeronautical data, including pavement strength. The standardized method is known as the Pavement Classification Number (ACN-PCN) method.

As a critical characteristic of a pavement is the friction, this matter is refined in Measurement, Construction, and Maintenance of Skid-Resistant Airport Pavement Surfaces. This document includes data on rubber removal frequency, e.g.



Busy runway end:


(source: Bridgepoint Road Markings Ltd)

A technique for rubber removal:


(source: Waterblasting Technologies)

This thesis describes how to optimize runway pavements in order to increase friction and how to remove rubber deposit:

Optimizing Airport Runway Performance by Managing Pavement Infrastructure by Samantha Theresa Pinto. Note that:


  Rubber accumulation on a dry runway is generally not a problem since
  the rubber interaction between the aircraft tire and the rubber on the
  runway creates traction that may actually improve friction. However,
  in wet conditions, rubber accumulation leads to loss of friction on
  the runway by clogging the pavement texture and creating an especially
  slick surface with minimal drainage capability when the runway surface
  is wet. Additionally, rubber accumulation causing decreased friction
  values means pilots have less directional control of the aircraft than
  expected on a bare and dry runway.