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.