During this holiday season, the Deloitte Global Survey estimates that 49% of Americans plan to travel, with 59% opting to fly. This got us thinking about the airfield construction projects we’ve had the privilege to construct over the years. Airfields are highly secure, heavily trafficked areas that rarely, if ever, slow down. With constant aircraft traffic and a growing population driving the demand for more flights, airports frequently require maintenance or expansion—whether it’s hangars, terminals, control towers, lighting, runways, or taxiways. But how do you complete construction in such a challenging environment—facing wind and rain, heightened security, and a constant stream of take-offs and landings?
Active airfields require special considerations during construction, starting with the pre-construction and planning phase of the project. It is important to find specially qualified subcontractors that are familiar with this type of work environment and the FFA requirements. Additionally, anyone who enters the project site must undergo additional background checks to access the site as well as potentially take a defensive driving course to learn the procedures and protocols for driving on an active airfield.
The concrete mix design is a critical component to airfield construction, which differs from other types of construction. These design requirements ensure longevity against the extraordinary wear and tear that runways, taxiways, and aprons endure. It all starts with the design, airfields use a specific concrete mixture to accommodate the weight and pressure of the planes as they taxi, take off, and land. Concrete for an airfield is typically a low-slump concrete, meaning it has less water than other concretes used on road or building construction projects, making it stronger but more difficult to work with. Airfields and taxi ways are designed to have a flexural strength of 550 – 750 psi, while highways and roadways are designed for a compressive strength of 3000-5000 psi or 350-550 flexural strength. The construction team will first place the concrete and then use a paving machine, such as a slip form paver, to work the concrete and make it flat. There are unique standards and testing for flatness of the concrete, as it must be flat but also drain water. Special machines are used to measure this flatness to ensure it meets FAA requirements.
During construction, communication is key in any construction project, but this is especially true on an active airfield. The construction teams must maintain constant communication with air traffic control to ensure construction activities do not interfere with any flight plans or operations. Extensive planning is required for some activities, such as the use of cranes, to ensure flight paths and signal lights remain clear, and to coordinate if any runways or taxi ways need to be closed for construction activities to occur. When building a structure on an active airfield, there are extensive coordination activities with airport authorities, such as deliveries to and from the site, or the removal of debris from the site. All jobsite traffic that requires access to the active flight line must be relayed to air traffic control.
Construction can be a messy process, and it is always important to keep a site clean to avoid potential on-site hazards. However, on an active airfield this becomes even more critical to keep aircraft safe. Foreign object debris (FOD) is a major concern as debris on a runway impairs vision and could be disastrous. Barriers are placed to keep construction materials within the approved area, and FOD inspections and cleaning must be performed daily to minimize that risk. Another aspect to FOD is dust control, which is typically achieved by keeping the site wet and clean to minimize the risk of wind catching dust from construction and creating a dust storm on the airfield.
The goal of any construction project in an occupied active area is to complete the project with minimal impact on the day-to-day operations of the area. Each of these unique considerations are crucial to achieving that goal and smoothly completing a project on an active airfield. Whether the project is a renovation, maintenance, or new construction project, the same considerations apply; select the appropriate team and subcontractors, ensure work meets FAA requirements, communicate constantly, and keep the area clear of FOD hazards.
Case Study
One of Ross Group’s projects that required all these special considerations was a new, two-bay maintenance hangar. Ross Group found the right team of qualified subcontractors, maintained constant communication with air traffic control, obtained appropriate permitting for specific construction activities, ensured concrete placement met all requirements, and kept a clean jobsite to minimize hazards to the airfield operations.
Ross Group constructed a new two-bay, C-130J Fuels Maintenance Hangar that totals approximately 66,000 sq. ft. The building consists of a reinforced concrete drilled pier foundation, structural slab on grade, pre-engineered steel superstructure, insulated metal wall panels, and a sloped standing-seam insulated metal roof. Pavement for 70 parking spaces, site utilities, site improvements, and demolition was also completed.
The flooring in the hangar bays consists of concrete airfield paving with an integral light reflective dry shake. The dry shake product provides an extremely durable hardened surface and a light reflective property to illuminate the space more efficiently than standard concrete.
Site improvements include construction of an airfield paving apron tying the hangar into the existing flight light apron, a new tug road, and improvement of an existing gravel lot to accommodate approximately 45 paved parking spaces with contract options for approximately 45 additional paved parking spaces and tug road.
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