b'22 ONT RUNWAYSsignage, including the airports new airfield lighting vault. Leanmanufacturer recommended a lightweight polypropylene piping Technology Corp. handled the complex airfield lighting, signageproduct called HP Storm, which allowed Coffman Specialties to and navigational aid design under the leadership of Doron Lean. work much more quickly than if the project had used heavier PVC To save additional timeand nearly $5 millionONT opted notor corrugated steel piping components.to fully remove the runways existing base. After close inspectionsTerence Zhao, engineered products revealed it was strong enough to remain in place, the runwaysmanager at Advanced Drainage Systems foundation was augmented with new cement to extend its life.(ADS), explains that crews were able to handle We surgically analyzed how cost effectively we could do theand place pipe manually instead of using large work instead of removing the entire runway base pavement layer,cranes or heavy lifting equipment. Lighter Abraham says. Sustainability counts. pipes are easier and safer to maneuver, reducing injury risk on site, Zhao notes. A A batch plant was erected on airport property to ensure asmaller crew can accomplish more, which isTERENCE ZHAOsteady supply of concrete, as well as easy and fast delivery.especially valuable on tight schedules.Whats more, older concrete removed during year one was later crushed into an aggregate base for the new taxiway. The pipe, which meets FAA design standards for airfield use, works in conjunction with properly compacted backfill to help There were mountains of material that we were able to distribute loads from heavy aircraft around the pipe as opposed to recycle and reuse, Bishara says. All of that helped the directly onto it. operation go faster.From a sustainability standpoint, the pipe is perforated, so it The team identified another underground time-saver by tappingcan capture stormwater and promote groundwater recharge, Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS) to provide a system capablewhich Zhao explains is especially valuable in highly urbanized of safely removing stormwater, storing it or even redirectingareas to support green infrastructure objectives.excess water back into underground aquifers. The Ohio-based September 2025AirportImprovement.com'