Technical Description:
• BridgeCor
® Structural Plate
• Span: 26-ft. 5-in.
• Rise: 7-ft. 6-in.
• Length: 620 ft.
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During a safety improvement project at the Lea County Regional Airport, a structure was needed at Runway 21 to enclose a drainage ditch.
“This flattens the ground so if an airplane does leave the runway, they overshoot it a bit, now they're running on flat ground rather than into a ditch,” stated Corey Needham, Assistant County Manager with Lea County Commission.
Molzen Corbin, the project's engineer, specified a 26'-5" span x 7'-6" rise BridgeCor® Structural Plate, 620' in length, for its ability to fill the ditch due to its strength and its perfect size. J & H Services was awarded the contract and both assembled and backfilled the structure. Since the construction occurred during Spring 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, all of the preconstruction meetings, job site discussions, and questions were handled virtually with photographs supplied to provide updates on a regular basis.
The Federal Aviation Agency funded almost 94% of the $1.5 million project with the New Mexico Department of Transportation Aviation Division and the county splitting the remainder. The BridgeCor structure was a great solution for the site, and the county and Molzen Corbin were pleased with the outcome. Furthermore, the project earned the 2021 Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies.
“Contech Engineered Solutions' BridgeCor product provided Lea County with a fast and economical solution to a runway safety area problem," concluded Kent S. Freier, P.E., CFM, CM, Vice President of Molzen Corbin. "Installation was quick, enabling the airport to open the runway after construction sooner than a cast concrete system. The many options that were made available by Contech gave the design team a way to select just the right product for our problem."
Technical Description:
• BridgeCor
® Structural Plate
• Span: 26-ft. 5-in.
• Rise: 7-ft. 6-in.
• Length: 620 ft.
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