Sealed Runways

Who knows how much it costs to build a sealed bitumen runway???

Who knows companies that builds them???

Ben

Gee Ben a lot of variables in that question.

Obviously a factor of how flat / level and well drained the ground is and how / long / wide/ load bearing capacity you want.

In previous life I used road base contractors, quarry supply comapanies and Asphalt contractors.

bottom line --its not cheap-- oh and doesnt like diesel spilled on it -- but thats another story and not my fault!

John

How long's a piece of string... I know....

1000m by 25m suitable for ultralights and light GA.... No 747 or A380s

Just trying to get a ball park.

Wouldn't that make the 7th fairway play a little differently Ben?

Probably have to take at least 1 off par.

What are you starting with? just a paddock or is thier already a strip?

We are looking at putting a black top on our already gravel runway here. It seems there is much variation in the costs, however I have heard 100+G's as a starting point.

Remember the Jamestown Flyin 19th April 2008 http://www.jamestownairshow.com/flyin.html

Cheers Guy

What are you starting with? just a paddock or is thier already a strip?Cheers Guy

25,000 Sq metres!

well look at it this way -- current council costs for repair of an asphalt driveway are in the order of $200 per square metre

http://woollahra.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/23449/Road_opening_permit_application_Jul_07-Jun_08.pdf

You wouldnt get cheap vinyl in a discount store for less than $10 per metre so even that would approach lottery winning figures!

I thought it would be around the $1m mark. That'd pay Jims Mowing for a few years I'd reckon.

I use to be in civil construction (roads, drainage etc) and although I can't remember the costs back then but do know it is not the actual bitumen that costs the most but rather the earthworks and types of courses, or basecourses that you use. There are several different ways to do it and it depends on the substructure you want. Some types of Base Course is very cheap and you would use crushed salamander as the cheapest. Transporting it in is the higher cost then the actual material. After that you may choose to use a sub course of crushed rock - I forget its actual name but it has a type of glue, bituminous material or hardening compound. The top course would be bitumen and again there are different types - layed, sprayed etc. Don't go for the cheaper Sprayed type or else aircraft owners will complain about prop chips.

It is a big subject and there are many different ways of doing it that will have an impact on the future maintenance costs of the strip not to mention proper drainage.

The best strip surface I have seen has been Wangaratta - absolutely beautifully laid and materials used

In 1994 NSPC skydivers had there 700mtr strip graded rolled and i think it was 2 coats of tar sprayed down and bluemetalled for about $10,000. it seems to have held up ok over the years.

ozzie

When I wanted mine tared I got a quote from the then Evans Shire Council (Bathurst area). They told me $125 per sq m. I told them to forget it. Went with dirt instead.

Horsham City Council is very supportive of the local airport and has just drawn up a long term business plan for the airport that includes a number of very substantial upgrades to the whole airport.

One upgrade is to extend the north / south/ 17/35 stabilised earth runway from about 800 metres length to 1300 metres and seal this runway to a width of 30 metres to cater for 2nd level airline operations and heavy commercial traffic.

Estimated cost of the sealing alone is just over the one million dollar mark.

Resheeting the current main 08/26 x 1300 x 30 metre wide runway last year cost around $100,000.

Anybody looking at putting in a semi permanent runway should have a look at earth stabilisation using lime or cement or one of the proprietary commercial earth stabilisation products that are available on the market.

I did a lot of this sort of thing years ago but cannot remember any of the figures. I left all my paperwork behind when I retired.

I would be surprised if $125 m/sq would cover it. At the least you would have to remove the grass and topsoil. Import a gravel base, compact and trim it, then put on a seal coat. At a very rough guess a minimum of $200,000 for 100mm base, and that may not be enough, depending on what your base is like. Talk to a road building contractor with knowledge of your area. At a push i could get hold of some more reliable figures from my old employer who has looked after our local airport and done several upgrades including asphalt resealing, which costs the earth.