Page 17 - Aerotech News and Review March 3 2017

$2 million ramp project progressing
containers. Demolition of the concrete panels and asphalt areas started in January. Soon crews will be removing the existing 20-inch fire main and modi- fying the water system and two fire hydrants.
In addition, the aircraft grounding systems that are required for aircraft electrical safety on the ramp will be replaced, as will the concrete. Following the restoration of the ramp, it will be striped and is scheduled to return to operational status in the late spring.
by Jay Levine
NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
Mountainous piles of concrete and rebar piled up near Hangar 4802 as crews used heavy machinery and power tools to begin the $2 million project to replace ramp areas damaged by a 20-inch cast iron fire main pipe that burst more than a year ago.
While Armstrong employees probably saw the debris, they didn’t hear the demolition part of the project to replace a section of the ramp behind 4802. That’s because it was decided to limit the disruption to Bldg. 4800 staff by completing the work after hours, said Rob Callahan, Armstrong’s facilities project manager.
As the sun set, the darkness brought with it cold and wind as the project began. Scattered showers throughout the day diminished as night set in. How- ever, the rare winter rains created a massive ditch between the piles of rubble that created additional challenges for the construction crew.
Large lights were erected that illuminated the whole work area. The tap, tap, tap, of the heavy machines caused the walls and floors of 4800 to vibrate and pulse.
Mark Morgan, Armstrong facility project ad- viser, outlined some of the project challenges. He also noted that before the start of the work night on- site workers were briefed about hazards they could encounter and what precautions were necessary to complete the work safely.
“The weather the last couple of weeks presented a bit of a challenge, working in the cold, with the rain and the wind mixed in,” Morgan said. “Howev- er, making sure everyone is able to drive home safe- ly after working 11 hours and getting off at 3 a.m. was the biggest challenge. Mike Monahan and Dale McCoy were here each night during demo making
sure the project ran smoothly and safely. It’s good to have a great team to get help from whenever you need it.”
After crews broke up the concrete and removed large protrusions of rebar into sizes required for re- cycling, the 20-inch fire main pipe was uncovered. The pipe failed in December 2015 and the resulting escape of water cause parts of the 16-inch thick con- crete to lift and flooded the ramp area north of 4802.
Facilities representatives have two main con- cerns.
“I want to make sure we receive a quality product and to make sure it gets completed safely,” Morgan explained. “The last thing we would ever want is for someone to get injured on a facilities project — no matter how small the injury may be. We are lucky to have such a great contractor with the Heffler Con- tracting Group.”
Charles Gibson, Heffler superintendent, said some of the undermining of the concrete as a result of the pipe breakage was evident, especially when one section of the concrete fell 2 inches when crews began working on it.
A major challenge early in the project was ensur- ing that the trucking companies sent the drivers who were previously cleared to enter the Air Force base, he said. That matters when as many as 40 trucks made deliveries during the night.
“Heffler Contracting is dedicated to providing a product that is completed safely, on time and within budget,” Gibson added.
One of the last major questions is if one of the footings for Hangar 4802 was damaged by the flood, which will be answered when the corner of the hangar is unearthed in the next several weeks, Callahan said.
Armstrong facilities personnel were tapped to complete the $100,000 in work required to design
the project to replace 54, 16-inch concrete panels that make up the back ramp area. An additional area for demolition included two areas of 8-inch concrete and an area of asphalt adjacent to the north side of the ramp. Staff members agreed because areas of the ramp were undermined by the flooding that the only way to eliminate the potential for ramp failure and risks to aircraft was to replace the entire section.
The project began in December with the removal of the sunshades and the relocation of the shipping
NASA photograph by Ken Ulbrich Heavy equipment was used to demolish the ramp damaged by a fire main pipe that burst.
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