Storm Water Project Replaces System at Dover AFB

Commissioned by Versar Inc., lead contractor for Dover Air Force Base’s $98.3 million runway repair project, Oldcastle Precast supplied 600 custom-made, precast concrete box culverts to rebuild the storm water drainage system at runway 01/19. The culverts will better handle storm events, through a larger, stronger storm water conveyance system.

The aged, worn, and undersized drainage system, consisting of hundreds of feet of reinforced concrete pipe, allowing flow under the runways and taxiways, resulted in storm water accumulation in and around the runway and entire airfield, during big storms.

When a large amount of standing water is on the runway and an aircraft goes through it, it can move a large amount of water at a high rate of speed, affecting the aircraft and causing damage.

The new storm water conveyance system is two large box culvert runs, each measuring 33 ft wide and over 2,500 ft in length. The bottom of each is more than 20 ft below the surface of the runway. The drainage structure will capture and convey a greater volume of runway storm water runoff during large events.

Oldcastle Precast of Telford, Pa., designed, engineered, manufactured, and shipped the 600 reinforced box culvert segments, weighing roughly 60,000 lb each, and lifted them into place by a tall crane. Manufactured monolithically, each precast concrete quad-cell culvert measured about 33 ft in width, with the individual cells measuring 7-ft-6-in. by 6 ft. The Telford plant produced eight segments per day, for four months, to complete the project on schedule.

In addition, Oldcastle Precast supplied 10 8-ft-long precast wing walls at headwall locations.

Before laying the concrete boxes, a level and sturdy base of dirt and stone was set to make sure minimal shifting occurs during the lifetime of the culverts. Each section of the culvert was then placed, cinched, tarred, covered with dirt and compacted to ensure storm water does not leak and is effectively drained off the airfield.

“This represents the largest storm water drainage contract completed by the Telford, Pa. plant,” said Mike Grapsy, Oldcastle Precast regional general manager. “Telford was uniquely qualified to deliver on a project of this scope.”

Dover AFB’s runway repair project scope of work included replacing the 1.8-mile-long, north-south runway 01-19, reconstructing the runway drainage systems, re-routing the fuel supply line, and replacing the medium voltage line.

Completion of the runway repair project is scheduled for June 2016.

Dover AFB, serving the Air Force for more than 60 years, is the largest military aerial port in the world, servicing warfighters worldwide, particularly operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dover is home to the 436th Airlift Wing housing 3rd Airlift Squadron’s C17 Globemaster III and the 9th Airlift Squadron’s C5 Galaxy aircrafts. Additionally, Dover is home to the Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs, the point of return for fallen warriors.

Source: Oldcastle Precast