b'volume and growth potential, airport leaders have already approached the federal agency to inquire about what might trigger such a change. Although there is no such precedent nor associated procedures in place, AZA leaders would prefer to see FAA controllers taking over for contracted employees in the coming years. Threading a 200,000-Pound NeedleBeyond gaining FAA funding and approval, building the tower was not without challenges. Bob Draper, director of Engineering and Facilities at AZA, approached the project with a simple goal: The first thing I told everyone was, I want to be in the news for thisDelpatch Elastomeric Concreteproject, but for the rightPrimary Applications:reasons. Not because wePartial Depth Spall Repair | Airfield Lighting Retrofitskimped on safety, and not PermanentEasy because we didnt do our due diligence and wasted SafeFast millions of dollars. BOB DRAPERFlexibleChemical ResistantAn industry veteran with more than 30 DurableCost Effectiveyears experience on airport and highway jobs, Draper appointed himself project manager and welcomed the opportunity toWe Have a New Website! build a tower. His excitement is evident whenCheck us out at dsbrown.comhe describes the foundations 37 caissons, each 80-feet deep and topped with 6 feetDelastic Preformed Pavement Sealsof concrete and thick strands of rebar. And that was before we ever started coming out of the ground, Draper says. Ive never seen anything like it.DPR Construction won a competitive bidding process and was tasked with building the tower. Its team oversaw onsite fabrication of two steel structures: a 110,000-pound controller cabin and a 206,000-pound lower bulge that houses a break room and office, meeting space and restrooms. At its peak, the project included 85 full-time construction workers. Overall, more than 30 subcontractorsMeets FAA P604 ASTM D 2628 & CRD-C 548took part in developing the tower. This was takingLongest Lasting Joint Seal Jet Fuel and Waterblast Resistantsomething as complex as a data center and Keeps FOD and Moisture out of the joints everything that would Reduces Faulting go into it from an Reduces Joint Spalling infrastructure standpoint, and then trying to build it vertically, says Geoffrey Minor, a senior projectGEOFFREY MINORmanager at DPR Constructions Phoenix office.dsbrown.com | 419-257-3561 | AirportImprovement.comJanuary | February 2023'