AIRPORT EVALUATION AND DESIGN PROJECT EXAMPLES

APTech has successfully provided pavement evaluation and design services to transportation agencies throughout the United States and around the world. The following highlights some of our project examples.

Dulles International Airport Runway 12-30 Reconstruction

Working with Michael Baker, Inc., APTech served as the design consultant for the reconstruction of 10,000 feet of Runway 12-30 at Dulles International Airport for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

Per this contract, APTech provided pavement design and other pavement engineering expertise on the project. More specifically, APTech developed the pavement design recommendations, which included pavement cross sections, joint spacings and layouts, load transfer, and subsurface drainage. In addition to developing pavement designs in accordance with the FAA procedures, APTech utilized a finite element approach to evaluate various joint spacings with respect to the aircraft gear loading in use at the Airport to determine the optimum joint spacing. APTech also assisted in the development of plans and specifications.

O'Hare International Airport Pavement Evaluation and Design - Runways 4R-22L, 4L-22R; 9L-27R, 14L-32R, Taxiways F; M, P, S, T, and W; O'Hare Modernization Program

APTech has provided comprehensive pavement evaluation and design services for four of the seven runways and six of the primary taxiways at O'Hare International Airport. These projects typically involve project-level pavement condition surveys, nondestructive testing using a falling weight deflectometer, and a geotechnical investigation consisting of pavement coring, subsurface boring, and laboratory testing. When necessary, additional evaluation through a petrographic investigation of core samples has helped to characterize materials-related distresses.

The results from these comprehensive evaluations have been used to make maintenance and repair recommendations as well as to develop designs for overlays and reconstructed pavement sections consisting of hot mix asphalt (HMA) and portland cement concrete (PCC). APTech has also made recommendations regarding the use of specialized materials on these projects, including polymer-modified asphalt mixes and steel fiber reinforced concrete. In addition, these runway design projects typically involve other constraints, such as maintaining operations at one of world's busiest airports, transitioning to adjacent facilities, and maintaining grades with surrounding terrain.

In addition, APTech is also involved in the O'Hare Modernization Program, a multi-billion dollar runway reconfiguration project designed to increase the airport's capacity by creating six parallel and two crosswind runways. In addition to the development of pavement designs as with any typical project, the project team developed detailed guidelines for design and construction to be used on future projects under the O'Hare Modernization Program.

Columbia Regional Airport Evaluation and PMS Implementation

APTech participated in the pavement evaluation and pavement management system implementation at Columbia Regional Airport in Columbia, Missouri as a sub to Bucher, Willis & Ratliff, Inc. The first phase of the project included designing and observing the construction of pavement repair projects for Columbia Regional Airport Runways 2-20 and 13-31 and Taxiways A and B and repainting of all runway and taxiway markings. APTech evaluated the condition and prepared a distress map for Runways 2-20 and 13-31 and Taxiways A and B. Using the results of the detailed distress mapping, the recommended repairs to be performed were identified. The recommended repairs to be performed were overlaid on the distress map. This allowed repair quantities to be accurately determined and the repair locations to be easily identified in the field.

The second phase of this project involved performing a pavement condition survey for Columbia Regional Airport and developing a pavement management database using MicroPAVER software. APTech will participate in the following activities during this phase: Records Review, Network Definition, Maps, Pavement Condition Survey, MicroPAVER Database, MicroPAVER Customization, PCI Data Analysis, Multi-Year Maintenance and Rehabilitation, Training, Photo Link, and GIS Link. The work conducted under this phase was documented in a detailed project report and delivered to the City.

APTech was recently re-contracted by Bucher, Willis & Ratliff to evaluate Taxiway A4 and the general aviation apron at Columbia Regional Airport.