Runway repair project progressing as planned

  • Published
  • By Steven J. Merrill
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Bathed in the glow of bright floodlights, contractors worked from sundown to sunrise Aug. 9, 10 and 11 to lay the first of two massive concrete sections that make up the 3,400-foot keel section of the Ellsworth runway.

The bulk of the four-phase project, which began in June 2011, is to replace the keel - or center section - of the base's 13,297-foot runway. The 40-foot-wide keel section on the south end of the runway where the base's B-1B Lancers land, and takes the most impact, has been deteriorating.

The second section of concrete that makes up the keel will be placed later in the month, to ensure the first concrete poured gains sufficient strength to bear the weight of the paving equipment without being damaged, according to Howard Aubertin, 28th Civil Engineer Squadron Programs Flight chief.

"It is a well-orchestrated sequence of events that has been rehearsed time and time again, on paper and in numerous meetings," said Aubertin.

Base officials planned the repair project for nearly two years, carefully considering the timing for the work to be done in order to minimize its impact on base operations. The two critical phases of the project, happening now, require the runway to be shut down completely.

Prior to the start of any repairs, Aubertin, the contractors, and several other key players took part in an intense training focused on quality control provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"There are no chances for a 'do-over' to correct poor work, given the high costs of the pavement and the costs associated with a runway closure," he said. "This is a high-risk venture, and the training leveraged years of expert experience in building runways around the world to get all parties on the same page to ensure success. "

The project is progressing very well, according to Aubertin.

"Actually, the demolition phase proceeded quicker than we had expected," he said. "We anticipated some difficulty in removing the slabs due to them sticking to the pavement layers below, but the slabs came out easily."

Alan Temple, 28th CES project manager, said communication has been the key to the success of the work.

"This is a tremendous team effort," Temple said. "Everyone has done a great job working together to ensure we accomplish this project successfully and on time."

The project is scheduled to be completed in late October.

The last significant repair work on the runway was completed in 1998, when individual concrete slabs were replaced. In 1986, as part of the transition to housing the B-1B, a 12-inch concrete overlay was poured over the entire runway. That was expected to last 20 years. The current concrete has lasted five years beyond its projected life.