The Newton City-County Airport Runway 17-35 Reconstruction project earned the Silver Award in the “Reliever & General Aviation Airports” category Dec. 5 at the American Concrete Pavement Association’s Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Newton airport project was one of two recognized nationally in its category. Twenty-six projects were honored in 15 categories after competing locally and nationally with hundreds of other projects.
Project applications for the award were evaluated for project schedule, scope, concrete materials, paving process, quality control/testing results, smoothness, sustainability considerations, innovation, safety and public relations. Award winners at the state chapter level are then nominated for national award consideration.
Newton City-County Airport Runway 17-35 was more than 50 years old and was experiencing significant swelling and cracking, so a full-depth reconstruction of the runway was recommended. As the airport’s primary runway, it was vital that the project be completed in the most efficient manner possible.
With this in mind, the design consultant, city and airport officials engaged in phasing meetings that determined the most effective runway traffic management techniques, which were a crucial factor in the project’s successful delivery and also was an important criterion for the award. The result was a three-phase approach that divided the runway into thirds and allowed it to remain operational during two of the three phases. The phasing plan also accelerated the second phase where Runway 17-35 was closed to reconstruct its middle third in order to mitigate impacts to the airport’s tenants and transient air traffic.
Another unique aspect of the project that contributed to receiving the award was the method used for design and bidding. Design of the project incorporated separate alternatives for asphalt and concrete pavement sections, which allowed the construction market to determine which would be the most cost effective material. This also provided equal opportunity for asphalt and concrete contractors to bid on the project.
Effective coordination between the consultant, contractor, city and airport staff led to a successful construction project that was completed ahead of schedule and under budget. The contractor’s workmanship and quality control provided testing results consistently within specification limits, which also contributed to the award. Construction of the project was completed in fall 2013.
HNTB Corporation served as the prime consultant on the 7,000-foot runway reconstruction project, providing design, bidding construction and project closeout services. In the project’s design phase, HNTB provided a pavement condition index survey, pavement design and life-cycle cost analysis, and prepared contract documents. Additionally, the firm performed on-site construction observation, reviewed all contractor shop drawings and material certifications, and prepared contractor pay applications. Dondlinger & Sons Construction was the prime contractor, and Pavers Inc. completed the concrete paving.
http://www.thekansan.com/article/20141214/NEWS/141219733/-1/news