Aviano Air Base Runway Improvements: Flexibility and Creativity Overcome Adverse Conditions

Aviano Air Base in Aviano, Italy required repair and replacement of the concrete ends of the runway. The 23 end required complete demolition, replacement, and grooving, while the 05 end received minor concrete replacement, rubber and paint removal, new joint sealant, and grooving. Beginning on September 18, 2002 and ending on October 25, 2002, 3,600 m³ of concrete was demolished and replaced with concrete exceeding the required 7-day strength of 4.4 MPa, along with replacement of 9300 m of joint sealant and 13,900 m² of concrete grooving. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic Division utilized their Emergency Construction Capabilities, Worldwide (CONCAP) contract with Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) to deliver a quality product on time. Heavy rainfall and thicker concrete were two conditions that threatened to delay the project, but several time-expedient methods were employed to minimize potential delays and to phase the work efficiently. Aviano Air Base is an Italian base but is home to the 16th U.S. Air Force's 31st Air Expeditionary Wing, home to both the 510^th and 555^th Fighter Squadrons. The Base is in the midst of a five-year, $530 Million Air Force and NATO funded construction program. It is the largest construction program ever undertaken by the U.S. Air Force and NATO. Aviano Air Base, supported by its NATO member forces and United States Air Force squadrons, are critical to U.S. Air Force Europe's Air Expeditionary Operations. The aircraft there are the closest to the Eastern European Theater and Western Asia. During Operation Allied Force, the 31st Air Expeditionary Wing at Aviano flew nearly 9,000 combat sorties and accumulated almost 40,000 hours of combat service over the skies of Kosovo, Serbia, and throughout the Balkan region in support of NATO operations. They are currently actively involved in real world operations so getting the runway operational was essential. With the 40-day runway closure resulting in two Fighter Squadrons and 800 military personnel being temporary deployed at a cost of $1,000,000 each day, the project had to be completed in an extremely accelerated manner to bring the F-16V home.