Runway Construction and Rehabilitation
Colas has extensive experience of runway construction and rehabilitation at some of the world’s busiest airports and at some of the most remote airports, within the commercial and military sectors.
The challenges of each airport project are unique. Colas has the skills and expertise necessary to ensure that for each project the best solution is identified and delivered efficiently for the client.
Colas provides safe, intelligent, technical solutions that are tailor made to fit each local specification. Colas delivers high standard construction and maintenance work in the aviation environment. Working with you, we provide safe predictable outcomes where the operation of the airport continues alongside essential infrastructure works.
Airside Infrastructure
We specialise in providing airside infrastructure without interrupting scheduled services or airport operations, and always aim to offer the most innovative, green, and cost-effective service in the industry. We have specialist equipment and skills in-house, as well as access to the global Colas network.
Landside or airside, safety is at the forefront of everything we do. Colas is OHAS 18001 accredited and our extensive experience of working in the airport sector means that we understand that safety comes first.
Airside Capability
Our skills and experience includes runways, taxiways, aprons, pavement construction and much more.
- Rapid runway resurfacing without interrupting scheduled operations including on-site production of asphalts and PQC using our in-house fleet of mobile asphalt plants and batching plants
- Airfield surface rejuvenation and in-situ recycling processes
- Cutting-edge materials and techniques, including thin film polymer bonded overlays, fuel resistant slurry seals and pavement quality concrete
- Cleaning, recycling and repairs, such as removal of rubber deposits from runways
- Pedestrian and vehicle routes incorporating colour demarcation and anti-slip surfacing.
- Aircraft Ground Lighting (AGL)
Landside Capability
We design, construct and maintain a wide variety of the infrastructure outside airports, and can also provide traffic management systems and other services to help keep the airport running smoothly.
- Construction of goods storage infrastructure and surface car parks
- Installation of temporary car parking surfaces
- Road construction, maintenance and recycling
Sustainability
Our commitment to sustainability runs deep, and goes far beyond just the materials we use.
- Our approach includes logistics, site operations and methods
- Our Deep Recycling and Repave surface recycling systems extend the life of runways, and improve safety
- Pen Tack offers a simple solution to runway rejuvenation enabling us to extend runway life and reduce capital expenditure costs
- Our environmental calculator software provides measurable energy and carbon savings against conventional construction
East Midland Airport Runway
Colas has a successful track record of implementing works for the Manchester Airport Group (MAG). In 2016, this continued with contracts awarded to carry out taxiway maintenance at Bournemouth Airport, car park resurfacing at Stansted Airport, and most recently, runway resurfacing works at East Midlands Airport. The project included:
- Rehabilitation of the airport’s 2.9km 09-27 runway.
- Removing the existing asphalt pavement and resurfacing the runway and taxiway tie-ins with new high quality Beton Bitumeux Aeronautique (BBA) surface course.
- The works were undertaken during day and night shifts across 5 consecutive weekend closures of the runway.
- The project marked the first time that a UK commercial airport had implemented full shutdowns across multiple weekends to allow large scale runway resurfacing.
