More than 445,000 sq. yds. of existing concrete had to be demolished in nine weeks, and then, the crews placed a total of 28 miles of concrete pavement, measuring 33 ft  to 38 ft wide and in thicknesses of 12 in., 16 in., and 20 in. Other complicating factors included unstable soils; the discovery of 700 waste drums that required disposal of hazardous waste contents; and even an archeological discovery and preservation of accretions of an old town on the site.  Were those variables not challenging enough, crews dealt with the harsh environmental conditions of the high Mojave Desert, with daily temperatures sometimes reaching 110 degrees F, with low humidity and wind gusts oft.en exceeding 25 mph. 

Silver:  Airfield Runway Upgrade, Johnstown, Pa.
Contractor: Hi-Way Paving, Inc. 

Owner: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Engineer: PBS&J Corporation

To the casual observer, this design-build, best value project seemed straight-forward enough, but some unique circumstances very quickly created some unanticipated delays that not only threatened the schedule, but also could have had a serious impact on the budget.

During the design phase, a stop-work order was issued, delaying the project by 126 days.  Work was scheduled to resume in July 2007, but because of the owner’s schedule, it was deferred to 2008. This could have impacted costs, but the contractor quickly developed a proposal to expedite the design and submittal process. It took more than a well-written proposal, however, and the contractor also had to hand-carry documents from Ohio to Nebraska, participate in “over-the-shoulder” plan reviews, shorten turn-around times, and do some informal partnering to get the job done.

The project began on August 22, 2007, and by November 22, the contractor had completed 90% of the project. This involved complete removal of an existing 7,003 ft. long main runway, and replacement with a 16-in. concrete pavement.   

The airfield required an adjacent cross runway to remain open for a time, and so the project continued into 2008. The reconstruction of the cross-runway, the final element that served as an intersection between two runways, did not begin until May 2008 Although the contractor had only 30 days to complete the intersection and re-open the adjacent runways, the work was actually completed early.  

Safety was, of course, a major emphasis, and thanks to training and the focused efforts of more than 1,500 employees, vendors, and subcontractors, and base personnel, there were no lost-time accidents during the more than 400,000 man hours of the project. The successful completion demonstrated resolve, tenacity, and cooperation among all involved. As a result, the project was actually completed ahead of the scheduled deadline.

Concrete Pavement Restoration (CPR)

Gold: 2007-2008 Airfield Concrete Pavement Rehabilitation at Denver International Airport