New Zealand
Australia
Singapore
Rest of the worldHow do you rehabilitate a busy airport runway surface when the aircraft have to keep flying?
The popularity of the Gold Coast in Australia as a tourist destination is undisputed. Thousands of holidaymakers arrive at its airport every week, heading for the beaches, theme parks and sunshine. But the main runway 14-32 at Gold Coast Airport had reached its limit of continued maintenance and was on borrowed time.
Collaborating with Gold Coast Airport Pty Ltd we developed a solution to repair the runway before it caused major disruption to the airlines and visitors.
The project team removed almost 19,000 tonnes of unsuitable asphalt and created a consistent base, then applied a spray seal layer to prevent cracking, and finally laid the new asphalt surface. While the process sounds simple, the reality was far more complex.
A multitude of specialist crews, activities, management, surveyors, line marking and a ground lighting team was needed to complete the work, with 75 people working each shift. Timing was critical, as we could only work during the night when the planes weren’t flying. And safety was our top priority.
Detailed planning, good teamwork and open communication was the key to success. 31 shifts and 20,000 man hours later, the runway was clear for take-off!
2km
Of runway
20,000
Man hours worked
19,000
Tonnes of asphalt replaced
Our Client Says
All investigation and design works were completed under extremely tight timeframes due to the deterioration of the runway surface. The professionalism of the team, under sometimes trying situations, was always of a high standard. I would recommend the team to any airport for future project works.
Travis Callaghan
Senior Project Manager, Gold Coast Airport Pty Ltd