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May | June 2026      AirportImprovement.com
PCW
of topsoil. Twice as much underlying dirt—about 3,000 dump 
truck loads—was then removed to make room for base 
materials and concrete. 
Before they were installed, contractors laid about 2,900 
feet of 12-inch through 36-inch reinforced concrete pipe to 
carry groundwater away from the apron to the holding pond. 
Another 6,700 feet of smaller-diameter perforated plastic pipe 
was laid in similar branches stemming from the concrete pipe 
to move groundwater into catch basins, then into the larger 
storm pipe. 
Contractors further prepped the excavated land by installing 
a 12-inch layer of P-154 subbase material mixed with crushed 
stone, per FAA requirements. That layer was topped with a 
6-inch layer of P-209 crushed aggregate, which is a courser 
stone. These subbases provide strength and support longevity 
for the final 11-inch concrete apron, explains Mann. 
Laying the pipe and subbases required two months of work. 
Rain was a concern during that stretch, as heavy precipitation 
could have compromised ground conditions and delayed 
progress. Fortunately, the airport didn’t experience any serious 
downpours. Crews quickly covered exposed subgrades with 
stone to protect them from the threat of 
heavy precipitation throughout the six-
month construction period.
On the Clock
Another challenge the 
project team faced 
was transporting wet 
concrete to the jobsite 
without it beginning 
to set while en route. 
Mixing the concrete on 
site was considered but 
deemed too expensive, 
notes Derek Dilger, vice president of Smith 
Paving & Excavating. Instead, the contractor 
trucked it in from a plant about 31 miles due 
east of the airport. 
Transporting wet concrete more than 
30 miles is somewhat risky under normal 
conditions, and that risk was further 
magnified by bridge construction on the only 
direct route to the airport from the plant. 
Construction that lasted the entire duration 
of PCW’s project reduced traffic on the 
bridge from two lanes in each direction to 
a single lane in each direction, significantly 
impacting the travel time of all vehicles. 
A roundtrip that would normally take 45 
minutes could easily take three hours due to 
the bridge work.
To beat the traffic and avoid such delays, 
crews started their work days at 4:00 a.m. 
They also didn’t transport or lay concrete on 
Fridays, when tourists heading to the Lake 
Erie Shores and Islands vacation region 
congest roads even more.  
Every Parcel Counts
With only 800 acres at its disposal, PCW 
has to be strategic about any development. 
“We’re getting near the full buildout of 
available property, but we’re pretty savvy 
DEREK DILGER

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