Airfield Pavement Construction Quality Assurance - Grand Forks AFB

Problem Statement and Objectives

New and reconstructed airfield pavements represent a huge investment. Proper design and construction are essential for good long-term pavement performance, and any deficiencies can result in very costly impacts on airfield operations, budgets, and long-term maintenance activities. Realizing the significance of achieving quality in new airfield pavement construction, the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command (AMC) and the Air Force Civil Engineering Support Agency (AFCESA) turned to ARA to provide quality assurance (QA) inspection (Title II Services) and technical support for the reconstruction of Runway 17-35 at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, in 2005.The project included total reconstruction of the 12,351-foot long and 150-foot wide Grand Forks AFB runway along with partial reconstruction of intersecting taxiways. The project work included rubblization of existing concrete to serve as base course for the new pavement, crushing of excess concrete to serve as base coarse, placement of asphalt concrete (AC) pavement for the center portion of the runway placement of portland cement concrete (PCC) for the last 1080 feet of pavement on the southern end of the runway and the last 1000 feet of pavement on the northern end of the runway, new paved overruns, new paved shoulders, runway edge lighting, new threshold lights, approach lighting within the overrun and improved drainage. ARA was in charge of conducting the QA inspection for the entire project for the Air Force, which included:

• Review of pavement-related submittals to ensure that proper materials, equipment, and techniques were employed throughout the construction process.
  
• Pre-inspection of areas just prior to paving to verify proper elevations, joint locations, joint designs, and other related details that are not commonly inspected in the paving process. The pre-inspection services avoided rework and costly construction delays.
  
• Observation of paving operations to ensure that the construction process was in accordance with plans and specifications and provided the intended pavement section and details.
  
• QA sampling and testing to spot check QC results and ensure that all materials, mixtures, and constructed
  layers met the design requirements.
  
• Post-construction inspection of paved areas to ensure proper dowel bar installation, joint formation, and joint sealing.

Detailed daily logs were kept to ensure that the QC testing met the standards as in the specifications.

Results and Benefits

ARA was retained not only for our on-site inspection services but more importantly for ARA's technical depth in pavement construction, materials, mix design, and pavement performance. Many firms can provide on-site inspection services and identify construction deficiencies. What AFCESA needed was a firm that could provide expertise and work closely with the Air Force and the contractor to address and remedy issues quickly. ARA fulfilled these expectations by helping resolve a major asphalt mix design issue quickly, thus allowing timely completion of the project within the very short North Dakota construction season. Failure to complete this project on schedule was not an option, and ARA served as the liaison between the Air Force, the designer, and the contractor to identify and resolve issues and keep the project on schedule.