Buckley ANG, Maintain Airfield Pavements

Project Focus
This $6.16 million project included an asphalt overlay of the main 8,600-ft long x 150-ft wide runway at Buckley AFB in Aurora Colorado, as well as concrete pavement restoration (CPR) of alert-status parking aprons and taxiways including full-depth repairs, spall repairs, crack sealing and joint resealing. This base is crucial to homeland security and our national defense as it is the operational home for the 140th F-16 Fighter Squadron, Colorado Air National Guard. The runway rehabilitation included milling and asphalt overlay for the center 7,600 feet, while each end required 500 feet of 13-inch PCCP pavement for placement of a barrier arrestor cable (BAK-14). The BAK is the military version of a "cable through donuts" laid across the runway ends, with a sophisticated mechanical system to extend the cable, slowing the F-16 from landing speed to a stop in a short distance as the tail-hook on the plane "catches" the cable. This system has a dual purpose: emergency situations and, more importantly, pilot training for aircraft carrier landings.

Project Details
Schedule & Complexity
The runway was closed, re-constructed and opened in the 90 calendar days allowed by the Contract, avoiding the $8,000 per day liquidated damages for delayed opening. This runway-closing period was mission-critical as the 140th Fighter Squadron had made previous arrangements to temporarily relocate all flight operations to Denver International Airport for the duration of construction. This schedule was a challenge because of the significant structural concrete and mechanical installation associated with the BAK, along with milling and construction of the asphalt and PCC pavements to tolerances of 1/8-inch /10-feet, and to a true elevation tolerance of plus/minus 0.03-feet. Working around the existing edge lights also complicated the construction.

Construction & Innovation
This project was awarded to the Contractor on a value-based selection process. Components of the selection included price as well as a demonstration in the technical proposal that the Contractor had the resources and experience to provide quality and timely performance for all components of the project, including asphalt overlay, CPR, PCCP and BAK construction. The project also included installation of two military BAK aircraft braking systems.

The Contractor completed over $500,000 in change orders without delaying the planned opening of the runway. These change orders were due to unexpected pavement and subgrade conditions discovered as construction progressed.

The Contractor proposed changing the joint pattern which allowed paving the runway ends in 4-passes at 37.5-foot width with a CMI 450 paver. This enhanced the quality and sped completion of the project. A Rex Model-S plant, with 28-day average strengths of 6,305 psi, produced the 100% PWL concrete on-site.

Quality
Although no incentives were offered for smoothness, the Contractor met all specifications, with an average smoothness of 6"/mile and meeting the 1/8" in 10' straight edge requirement - a result achieved in less than 500' of paving interrupted by the BAK trench.