In 2012 Allied Infrastructure Management completed a major runway resurfacing project at a principal UK Airport for Volker Fitzpatrick Limited.
We were commissioned to undertake all aeronautical ground lighting (AGL) civil engineering works on a contract worth £6.2m over a five month period. This was the largest contract of this nature ever to be undertaken in the UK.
Whilst there were many civil engineering elements to the project, it was one of the largest concrete cutting and drilling contracts in the UK, and Allied Infrastructure’s subsidiary, Allied Drilling, carried out the concrete cutting and drilling works.
The work was undertaken in six hour night shifts and the runway was handed back for operation in the morning with all materials fully cured ready to accept aircraft loading.
Allied employed a workforce of 60 operators (at peak) and eight support staff. The project was delivered ahead of time despite having countless cancelled shifts due to inclement weather.
Description of works
1. The removal of over 2,150 existing AGL units which involved coring 800mm diameter holes x 500mm deep in 200mm asphalt/300mm flint concrete and filling with rapid set concrete.
2. The installation of 2,150 new light bases which involved coring 700mm diameter holes x 500mm in 200mm asphalt/300mm flint concrete deep and filling with rapid set concrete.
3. Excavation of 23km of duct trenches 300mm wide x 450mm deep for the new runway lights which involved 46km of saw cutting x 450mm deep in 200mm asphalt/25mm flint concrete and rock wheeling 23km 300mm wide x 450mm deep. All trenches were filled with rapid set concrete and re-opened to aircraft after two hours’ curing.
4. Installation of 2,150 new AGL seating rings for the new runway lights.
5. Installation of 15,000Lm cable slots to temporarily feed existing lights whilst works were undertaken. This involved saw cutting 15mm wide x 100mm deep and joint sealing after cables were installed.
A forward thinking, pro-active company, Allied has built up extensive airport knowledge, expertise and solutions in relation to all AGL installations. As a preferred contractor to many of the major UK airports we have been employed on over 90% of the major airport schemes in the country since 2001. We have encountered a variety of situations where the solution has been reached through our expertise and experience. Time and time again we have assisted the client to plan, programme and carry out major and minor AGL works and constantly strive to improve quality of service and cost reduction resulting in client saving. We are experts in runway closures and short duration works.
Allied has the UK’s largest directly employed, trained workforce on the installation of AGL units and all associated works. We have the UK’s largest fleet of specialist plant for AGL civil engineering including in-house designed plant, bespoke to reduce time, cost and wastage.
We provide amongst other services:
• PQX Bay replacement
• AGL chamber and duct installations
• Cable slot operations
• Crack repairs in all forms of pavement construction
• Joint sealing (fuel and non fuel resistant)
• Concrete and asphalt repairs
• General civil engineering construction.
