The team recognized panel removals would be a key factor, so to speed the deep sawing, three separate sawing subcontractors were used. Also to speed the up-front removals, extra large off-road trucks were used to haul away broken concrete and any subgrade requiring replacement.

To prevent damage caused by the extraordinary weight of these loaded trucks, special haul roads were constructed. At various areas where the weight was a particular concern, roller-compacted concrete was used to ensure a stable roadway for the trucks. These special haul routes also eliminated the need to cross live taxiways, which further avoided delays or other problems.

Safety was also a key consideration, so IHC assigned a full-time safety representative to the project. Spotters, flaggers, gate guards, and foreign object debris (FOD) watchers were positioned throughout the routes. Toolbox safety meetings were held weekly, with item-specific safety meetings held prior to beginning all new items of work. All drivers and spotters underwent safety training to ensure they understood the special requirements of airfield movement.

Lighted barricades marked all taxiway closures and other critical areas. Runway closure lighted X’s were placed at both ends, with three (60 ft long x 10 ft wide) yellow crosses at the center and both ends of the runway. Low profile lighted barricades were placed to close all taxiways leading to the work area. All access routes were monitored constantly to and from the work area to eliminate any potential incursions into live taxiways.

To eliminate the down-time associated with changing paver widths, three separate slipform pavers were used. The panel replacements were then scheduled for the most efficient paver use, depending on the required paving widths.

The quality control plan was a six-step process that began with pre-work coordination, and then, progressed through formalized initial inspections, follow-up inspections, completion inspections, pre-final acceptance, and final acceptance inspections. A full-time program administrator with more than 15 years of airport and highway experience was assigned, along with a support staff of technicians and inspectors. Concrete was sampled and cured jointly with quality assurance personnel to ensure consistency in the reported results.

The overall project consisted of removing concrete panels in small groups throughout the entire runway complex, making coordination of the work crucial to the project’s completion.

To speed concrete removal, three sawing companies were used for deep sawing. Off-road articulated trucks hauled rubble from the work site. Throughout removal operations, large areas of subgrade material required remediation prior to replacing the concrete pavement.