The £18.6 million contract involved Costain renewing the ground lighting on and around the 3km-long, 45-metre wide runway and resurfacing it in the process.
“The project driver was the wiring and cabling around the runway, which was getting towards the end of its design life,” explained Project Manager Paul Hancock. “One of the knock-on effects is that we had to cut up the asphalt surface and re-lay it.”
The project involved installing ducting around the edge of the runway and laying new lighting cabling in it. From these ducts the team then saw-cut channels 120mm deep to the runway’s centreline where they installed the lighting that helps guide aircraft.
The team also installed a new electricity sub-station for the lighting system.Cutting into the runway meant that resurfacing also had to be undertaken. “We planed off 50mm of material and then replaced that,” said Hancock. “One of the main innovations is that we’re using a new French product called BBA (Béton Bitumineux Aéronautique). It’s widely used abroad, but Manchester is the first mainland UK airport to use it.
“Whereas with new runway asphalt you normally have to cut grooves into it to help water drain off and improve friction, BBA is self-draining and has instant friction characteristics when it’s laid.”
According to Paul Hancock, BBA has aroused considerable interest: “Lots of other UK airports have been here, looking at it.”
Some 20,000 tonnes of material were used in the resurfacing programme.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Börger UK, which has firmly established itself as a leading pump brand since it was set up in Staffordshire in 2004, has moved into bigger, brand-new premises in Shrewsbury.
HUBER Technology UK & Ireland are inviting people to register for their March webinar where they will be providing information about HUBER water intake screens for municipal and industrial applications.
Sulzer has launched a new global Center of Excellence (CoE) for Water Treatment Solutions - the CoE consolidates Sulzer’s wastewater treatment expertise in a unified and global manner.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.