Indianapolis Airport Capacity Enhancement

Background

At Indianapolis International Airport (IND), Runway 5R-23L and Taxiway D pavements were showing signs of accelerated deterioration, and several items such as safety area grades, shoulder widths, and blast pad dimensions were not compliant with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards.

Challenge

This strengthening and capacity enhancement project was divided into three parts (Parts A and B for Preliminary Engineering and Design and Bidding, respectively, and Part C for Construction).

Solution

Woolpert served as a subconsultant during Part A and primarily led the field investigations efforts as well as geotechnical investigations, traditional survey, mobile mapping system survey, and televising of storm pipes as well as evaluating all elements within the project limits to determine compliance with FAA standards. Several items such as paved shoulder dimensions, blast pad dimensions, and safety area grades were identified as non-standard. This information was one of the leading contributors toward justifying the overall program to the FAA.

Woolpert also assisted with the development of all the pavement in which our team evaluated 50 pavement alternatives to take the “no stone unturned” approach toward a preferred pavement option.

Part A also included determining phasing alternatives; preliminary CSPP development; rehabilitation/reconstruction alternatives; pavement designs; and stakeholder engagement, which included FedEx, major air carriers, air traffic control, Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF), and airport maintenance and operations personnel; quality control reviews and revisions; constructability and value engineering; preliminary contractor outreach meetings; and conceptual design plans.

Our subconsultant provided the Rough Order-Magnitude (ROM) cost estimating, life-cycle cost analyses, and benefit-cost analyses. Woolpert coordinated fieldwork during multiple closures of the runway and taxiway, which piggybacked on closures required for the construction of two new high-speed connectors. This included utility locating, Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), destructive testing, and video inspection of storm sewer pipes below or near the pavement infrastructure.

Coordinating schedules, gate locations, safety briefings, and security escort services was vital to keeping a tight schedule since the closure was dictated by a separate project. It was critical to remain flexible: FedEx had numerous unscheduled operations that required taxiway movement through the project limits. Woolpert’s survey and mobile mapping crew mapped the topographic features, including the locations and widths of existing runway and taxiway pavements and shoulders.

Our mobile lidar mapping van collected 300 photo-identifiable objects uniformly dispersed throughout the site. All hard surfaces were collected in less than two days.

Airfield lights and signs, cross sections, edges of pavement, pavement markings, and joints/panels were shown in the final AutoCAD Civil 3D deliverable. Woolpert supported the preparation of a technically accurate and comprehensive report regarding mitigating potential airfield impacts, outlining long-term rehabilitation/reconstruction alternatives, and sustainability. Woolpert also led the efforts in developing the Non-Standard Conditions report, developed the haul route/site access plans, and worked with the consulting team to take a high-level look at converting parallel Taxiway C into a temporary runway during construction.

Outcome

For Parts B and C, Woolpert is providing final engineering, bidding, and construction administration services associated with the project.

For construction, Woolpert provided management observation services and co-management of several teaming partners that provided services ranging from material testing to specialized observation. The team is bridging the gap between design and construction, ensuring prompt responses during construction activities to maintain the schedule and avoid delays.

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are being used for aerial photography, which provides a unique perspective of construction progress as well as time-lapse documentation. Using UAS is integral to our survey services because it provides progress monitoring, photogrammetry, and/or topographic surveys to measure stockpiles or other project-specific needs. This project utilized the strength of nine diversity subconsultant firms to meet the schedule and analyze 50 different pavement solutions to discuss with the airport and FAA. We justified the recommended alternative and funding because of the detailed analysis of the alternatives. Learning to utilize our teaming partners and lean on their strengths allowed for greater detail while maintaining the budget and schedule. Woolpert learned that early, clear direction on expectations and deliverables to the entire team is critical. Additionally, Woolpert learned the importance of engaging in sustainability early in a project, which enabled the team to develop highly sustainable alternatives that may not have been considered.

Benefits

This project is the first of three phases to completely reconstruct Runway 5R/23L and associated taxiways at IND to provide an additional 30 years of service. This project was the first airfield project to attain an Envision Platinum award, the highest level provided by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) for significantly contributing to sustainability and resiliency. The concrete pavement design included carbon sequestration through a carbon cure process (approved by the FAA for the first time). This project also won an ACEC Indiana Engineering Excellence Honor Award, highlighting the engineering achievements based on uniqueness and originality, technical complexity, social and economic value, and public awareness.