USACE Repair Runway Center Keel and Asphalt Section, Minot Air Force Base
Features & Highlights
- 8,900-foot-long center keel and asphalt section, including both rigid and flexible pavement
- 36,000 tons of asphalt and 42,000 cubic yards of concrete placed
- Fast-track schedule
- Remote area required on-site batch plant as well as careful planning and coordination
Project Overview
51¹ú²úÊÓƵ’s extensive airfield paving experience was crucial to the successful completion of a challenging project at one of the nation’s most security-sensitive Air Force bases. Minot Air Force Base supports a unit of intercontinental nuclear-tipped missiles and is home to one of the country’s only two squadrons of B-52 bombers. Developed during the Cold War to provide a quick route to Russia over the Arctic Circle, Minot remains strategically important today as part of the Air Force Global Strike Command.
We replaced the runway in just six months and ensured that the base was operational throughout construction in the event of a national emergency. Requiring approximately 42,000 cubic yards of concrete and 36,000 tons of asphalt, the newly replaced section of airfield, designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, stretches 8,900 feet long and includes new lighting and storm drain systems on both sides of the runway.
In addition to the aggressive schedule and maintaining base operations, the project is in a remote area of North Dakota. Because of the location, the project team set up a concrete batch plant adjacent to the runway so our workforce could mix and place the concrete and aggregate base. Project success also depended on expert planning and coordination—and cooperation from the weather. Both the spring thaw and summer rains set up crucial timeframes for earthwork, transport of heavy loads, and groundwater issues at the site. Given our project team’s deep experience, they were able to plan and adjust accordingly.
Contacts
Awards & Accolades
2015 Best Project Award, ENR Mountain States