Airport - Award of Merit

Dulles Airport Runway 12-30
Dulles, Va.

Faced with a breakneck schedule and numerous obstacles, The Lane Construction Corp. finished the $17 million reconstruction of Dulles International Airport's only east-west runway in an incredibly short time frame - with 13 days to spare.

The existing runway needed repair. Numerous concrete panels were cracked and the existing PCC pavement section was underdesigned for the industry's new, larger aircraft. An inadequate underdrain system caused large volumes of water to collect in the existing subgrade below the runway.

Crews installed 24,000 lin. ft. of underdrain systems; demolished 185,000 sq. yds. of PCC pavement, base material and subgrade; and installed several duct-bank and pipe-casing crossings. Work continued with the cement stabilization of 175,000 sq. yds. of subgrade 12-in. deep, placement of 185,000 sq. yds. of asphalt base and installation of several hundred runway and touchdown lights.

Meeting or exceeding the 134-day schedule was critical for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the project's owner. Runway 12-30 is the only east-west runway that is used during heavy hurricane season, when the airport is especially susceptible to high winds - and hurricane season was fast approaching.

If the runway was inoperable during a high crosswind period, the airport could be shut down until the adverse weather subsided.

The region's concrete shortage threatened to stall the project before it even started. Lane's cement supplier rescinded its material quote one month after the notice to proceed. Lane had to scramble to obtain a supplier that could provide 27,000 tons of cement and 4,000 tons of fly ash in a six- to eight-week time period.

Lane recruited the help of MWAA and key members of the American Concrete Paving Association to help fulfill the critical need. Unlike many cementitious materials, granulated slag was readily available, so Lane designed a concrete mix utilizing a 50/50 cement/slag blend that cut the initial concrete requirement in half.

Lane crews were also able to free up more needed concrete by switching from a cement-based material required directly beneath the runway pavement to an asphalt-based material. This freed up 4,000 tons of cement for the main runway PCC pavement.

The cement stabilization of the subgrade soils was more difficult than normal due to existing rocky soils, variable soil types and wet subgrade. Hidden boulders in the 12-in.-deep stabilization section damaged Lane's equipment - a reclaimer - used to mix the cement and soil.

Additional equipment was mobilized to rake the subgrade and remove boulders that could further damage the reclaimer.

The designer instituted the manipulation of subgrade soils prior to the cement treatment with a lime treatment in saturated areas and clay-rich areas where characteristics of the soil could not be improved. This change allowed Lane to avoid undercutting a significant amount of subgrade, saving considerable time on the schedule.

"This project is emblematic of an industry with the capacity to do outrageous things," said one judge. "It's a large-scale project with a lot of concrete that was poured in a short time frame - very difficult. They had an amazingly short schedule, which was a big issue, considering the shortages in concrete in our region."

Owner: Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Design & Construction: Lane Construction Corp.
Electrical: Midasco Inc.
Saw & Seal: Jami & Co Sawing and Sealing
Soil Cement Stablization: Slurry Pavers Inc
Pavement Markings: Sellers Construction Corporation
Furnish & Haul Concrete: L&L Construction & Associates
Runway Grooving: Saftey Grinding & Grooving

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