Design and Build - RAF Lakenheath, In-Transit Platform
Client: USAF (MoD)
Value: £3.55 million
Duration: 24 weeks
Completion: July 2007
A Design and Construct contract to provide parking facilities for heavy freight aircraft such as the C-5 Galaxy and Boeing C-17 Globemaster
Let under DEFCON 2000 we employed Scott Wilson as our scheme design consultants, chosen specifically because of our previous successful working relationships.
Based on an indicative design provided by the Client, we were responsible for providing facilities with a 20 year design life that fully complied with NATO, USAF and MoD requirements, whilst also providing the best whole life value.
Full design proposals were submitted at Tender stage that improved the indicative design and provided a budget cost saving to the Client in the order of £400k.
As a team, we employed both a Project Designer and a Technical Design Manager as permanent members of the site staff, with design issues ongoing throughout the contract duration.
The design was to provide an aircraft parking facility, namely the "In-Transit Platform", situated on Taxiway Whiskey, where heavy freight aircraft are loaded, or unloaded. The new construction linked into the adjacent runway with a turning area constructed at the opposite end to accommodate return along the same route.
New 6m wide shoulders, comprising a concrete drainage channel, were incorporated into the works together with the installation of new High Mast Lighting and Aeronautical Ground Light system to bring the lighting up to current standards. An extensive new marking scheme was designed to afford multiple use of the overall platform area for smaller aircraft.
Works included over 10,000m3 of concrete,all mixed from an on-site batching plant
Following the design phase, the agreed construction works entailed:
• Removal of 44,000m2 of existing asphalt overlay, generally 50mm deep, over the existing underlying concrete slabs to allow a visual condition survey.
• Substandard concrete bays (480mm deep) were cracked by guillotine and excavated to formation level.
• Concrete arisings were crushed and screened and then brought back onto site as a sub-base.
• 150 mm deep lean mix concrete (12,000m2) placed on the sub-base. This also utilised the previously recovered
concrete arisings.
• 3,500 tonnes of asphalt regulating was laid to achieve new transverse and longitudinal profiling to a tolerance of
+0/-10mm.
• 31,200m2 of Pavement Quality Concrete was placed through a combination of machine and handlay at thicknesses ranging
between 225mm and 480mm. The main taxiway had to be a minimum of 23m wide and the in-transit area had an overall
width of 80m wide between the new drainage channels
• Overlay to new profile the taxiway shoulder using Base Regulating, Binder and 25,300m² of 50mm Masterpave
Surface Course (Mareham Mix).
• Handlay a new 6m wide concrete drainage channel along both sides of the taxiway.
• Place Hardicrete heavy duty specialist surface treatment adjacent to the In-Transit area (3,920 m2)
• Install 2,000m of ducting and 24 No. Chambers.
• Install 81 No. new Aeronautical Ground Lights with associated cabling.
• Install 6 No. High Mast Lighting columns on Piled Foundations, adjacent to the In-Transit area.
• De-lethalisation of 6 No. duct chambers at the runway end.
• Joint and seal to all new concrete bays (11,000m).
• Apply 7,000 lm of new pavement marking (0.15m wide bands) with associated numbers and lettering.
Testing and Quality Control ensured a defect-free contract
The site based concrete batching plant was erected in a separate compound within the Base, approximately 20 minutes travel time away from batching to arrival at the discharge point. To ensure that the material and placement met with the stringent quality requirements, sample testing was carried out both at source, and at the discharge point.
All asphalt materials, equipment and laying plant had to be trialled, prior to receiving formal acceptance from the Client. Tarmac's plant at Cavenham was the only source for the supply and delivery of 10,448 tonnes of asphalt.
Grassland adjacent to the works was classified as a SSSI
The site is home to rare visiting Stone Curlews that have developed a successful breeding ground in the locality. To minimise disturbance, temporary FOD fencing had to aesthetically match with the existing site environment.
In addition, a section of grassland, along the boundary of the works, had to be removed to allow for the installation of ducting. The SSSI grass was taken up as turf and translocated to a temporary 'holding area'. Each section of turf had to be noted for location, kept alive, and then returned back to exactly where it was lifted.
Comment
"Undertaking extensive pavement quality concrete works and associated airfield ground lighting adjacent and
connecting to the main runway, whilst maintaining aircraft operations, was a significant result of Tarmac's
organisational team work and construction planning.”
Defence Estates Operations International Projects, Stirling House, Waterbeach, Cambridge CB25 9QB
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