RS&H Runway Projects Rack Up Awards at Georgia Airports Association

Every year, the Georgia Airports Association (GAA) hands out awards for the best commercial airport project and general aviation project. This year, RS&H projects swept up both honors.

RS&H’s Columbus Airport runway project earned Commercial Project of the Year from the GAA, while McKinnon St. Simons Island Airport claimed General Aviation Project of the Year accolades for RS&H’s runway work.

RS&H Senior Aviation Engineer Brian Thompson was the project manager at both airports.

“It’s a tremendous compliment to our team and to our ability to design and produce construction of that magnitude,” Thompson said. “One project was a model of efficiency, and the other was breaking new ground.”

The Columbus Airport was recognized for RS&H’s rehabilitation and completion of Runway 13/31. Improvements included rehabilitation of the asphalt runway pavement, installation of new runway lights, installation of guidance signs, installation of a newly lighted windsock at the midpoint of the airport, and associated electrical work. The work performed by RS&H was efficient, as the project finished nearly $100,000 under budget.

McKinnon St. Simons Island Airport earned the general aviation award for RS&H’s work on Runway 16/34, which incorporated cold-in-place asphalt pavement recycling as an alternative to full-depth re-construction.  The project is among the first uses of this technology on an airfield in Georgia.

The cold-in-place recycling process entails using a train of equipment to convert previously-used materials into the foundation layer, all without removing, transporting, heating, or storing tons of asphalt. This technique saves time and money and creates a smaller environmental footprint.

“It was a perfect solution,” Thompson said. “Not only did cold-in-place recycling help us work within a tight budget and timeframe, but it also limited the amount of truck traffic coming onto the island.  On a small resort island, those extra trucks would have had a significant impact.”

Repaving the runway was just part of a three-contract airfield rehabilitation program at St. Simons Island. Projects included rehabilitation of the runway pavement; new runway and taxiway marker lighting; partial rehabilitation of the shoulder pavement; new lighted airfield and directional signage; a new precision path approach indicator (PAPI) guidance system, and a new supplemental wind cone. Numerous electrical upgrades, including new cabling and conduit, were also installed.