On airport jobsites, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sets the project specifications, which are more stringent than those for roadway paving. Since airplanes have a greater point load per tire, load-carrying capacity of asphalt is critical. Smoothness is another major factor for runways and taxiways.
English Paving is completing a job for First Aviation Services that includes building an airport repair apron at the Teterboro Airport, 12 miles from Manhattan in Teterboro, N.J.
The job includes bulk excavation, soil disposal, grading work, laying the sub-base and paving the repair and parking areas as well as connections to the taxiways.
There are two weeks to complete the majority of the work, making for a busy jobsite. “We have more than 45 trucks bringing in stone and asphalt at the same time,” said John English, president of English Paving. “It is difficult to get that many trucks in and out of the security gate at the same time. In several instances we are grading the stone and paving simultaneously to complete the job on time.”
Density is a concern on the project. “We are using a nuclear gauge to test the density of the stone base material to make sure we are meeting density requirements,” said Drew Lillis, project superintendent. The bulk fill is being compacted with an Ingersoll Rand SD-100 soil compactor.
Another challenge is in laying down and compacting the asphalt. English Paving uses two Ingersoll Rand PF-5510 pavers to lay the asphalt, with a third paver on standby. The mat is 9 in. deep and consists of 6 in. of P401-A for base and 3 in. of P401-B for the wearing course. Between 2,500 and 3,000 tons of asphalt are being laid each day.
The pavers are responsible for smoothness of the mat. “The PF-5510 pavers have a joint matcher on one side and a 30- or 40-ft ski on the other side for grade control,” said English.
Compactors are responsible for the pavement achieving the required density. “This is a coarse mix with a polymer in it, making it hard to achieve density,” said English. The tight time frame of the project requires achieving density as soon as possible. For this reason, English Paving relies on two Ingersoll Rand vibratory compactors on the job.
“This project is a good place for us to test compactors. We use nuclear gauges because of the sensitivity in achieving the density specification,” said English. “We find that by using the Ingersoll Rand machines we achieve density quicker.”
English Paving uses an Ingersoll Rand DD-138HFA compactor as a breakdown machine, a DD-118HFA as an intermediate compactor and a Caterpillar CB-634D as a finish roller. The Ingersoll Rand HFA compactors have high frequency and eight vibration settings that provide versatility. On thicker lifts like the one being laid at Teterboro, the operator sets the amplitude to a high setting with low vibration and achieves density with fewer passes over the mat.
