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News | Feb. 2, 2017

Civil engineers team up to repair runway

455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan  –   Three career fields from the 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron worked together to repair a strip of runway Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, 2017 at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

The repair required replacing a section of concrete with polyethylene pads after it was damaged by constant aircraft traffic. That traffic caused a barrier cable, used for catching aircraft making emergency landings, to snap against the runway, which made a half-inch divot in the concrete over time.

A two-foot wide strip of runway was removed with concrete saws and jackhammers. A new concrete base was poured and the pads were laid over. Holes were drilled to anchor the pads and a silicone-based sealant was used for filler.

“We were able to do this job without any impact to the mission – aircraft were still able to land and take off with ease,” said Airman 1st Class Abram Burkhart, 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron structures specialist.

The project took approximately 72 hours, and required the expertise of members of the Pavements and Construction; Power Productions; and Structures shops.

The repair should last another 10 years until the barrier has to be replaced.


Editor's note: The original story can be viewed on the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing website.

repair runway concrete 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron