Rickenbacker International Airport connects Columbus’ air cargo demand with the world, serving a mix of cargo, commercial, military and general aviation service. Newly-operating flights from Asia in the Group VI category demanded that the airfield be improved to meet this need. The airport completed a study detailing these demands and selected Crawford, Murphy & Tilly (CMT) to lead the Taxiway Rehabilitation and Modification of Standards (MOS). This first phase of this multi-year, multi-phase design and construction effort was completed in the fall of 2017.

In total, this $6.5 million taxiway rehabilitation and reconstruction covered 5,500 x 75 feet. The full scope of work included:

• Asphalt and concrete pavement milling
• Portland cement concrete (PCC) rubblization
• Asphalt surface replacement
• LED lighting improvements
• Geometry improvements to meet current Federal Aviation
• Administration (FAA) criteria
• Subsurface drainage installation
• Demolition of excess pavements

Construction included over 48,000 square yards of rubblization, and placement of 33,000 tons of asphalt, all completed in three phases of construction.

CHALLENGES, SOLUTIONS, & LESSONS LEARNED

• Through early coordination and analysis, CMT worked with CRAA and the FAA to determine the best pavement rehabilitation methods and designed the project phase limits based on available funding.
• Through strategic phasing efforts, CMT mitigated one of the airport’s major concerns: maintaining the current level of service for active users.
• Due to grant funding deadlines, schedules were tight. CMT’s strong FAA relationships and recommendations translated to quicker FAA reviews and faster decisions, which allowed Phase 1A to easily meet all deadlines.
• The existing conditions included an old military base, poor record drawings, and hidden underground structures uncovered during construction. CMT performed a thorough record drawing search and brought in experienced field observation crews to document and resolve unknowns in the field, creating a more-reliable picture of CRAA’s current environment.
• CMT justified for the FAA to fund the airport’s desired, 20-year, long-term fixes, not just selective repairs on pavements shown in the original scope.