Gatwick Airport completes resurfacing of runway
A plan to resurface the main runway at London Gatwick Airport in half the time, for half the cost while using 70 per cent asphalt – saving considerable embodied carbon – has recently been completed.
The airport, which is part of VINCI Airports’ network, originally intended to resurface its main runway in 2020 before the pandemic hit, stopping these plans in their tracks.
Rolling with the punches, the airport has made the best of the situation by drawing up a far more sustainable and cheaper plan than was originally intended.
By focusing on the areas of the runway which see the most traffic, where aircraft land and exit, sections which still have seven to ten years of life have been left untouched.
In another innovative move, through a newly developed resurfacing technique both necessary layers were laid in one night, whereas this would normally be done over two.
Through these methods, the airport saved around 100,000 tonnes of asphalt, using only 40,000 in the resurfacing. This saw the work completed for 50 per cent of the normal cost and in only six months, half the length of time it would normally take.
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With the reduction in asphalt came a significant saving of embodied carbon – the Greenhouse Gas emiisions associated with materials and construction through the life-cycle of infrastructure – supporting VINCI Airports’ environmental commitment.
The removed asphalt has been recycled and used as aggregate in road construction and a temporary on-site asphalt batching plant reduced lorry travel distance and emissions.
Alasdair Scobie, Capital Delivery Director, London Gatwick Airport, said: “The pandemic gave us the time and reason to rethink our original design.
“We think we have achieved the best balance possible between cost, operational constraints and durability, whilst reducing the environmental impact of construction. The cost savings can now also be reinvested in improvements across other parts of the airport.”
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Featured image: Gatwick Airport
