Newark Airport Runway

Hundreds of flights carrying thousands of passengers fly out of Newark each day. To meet increasing demands, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) needed to extend its main runway closest to the terminal to accommodate pilots carrying heavier loads requiring longer takeoffs.

Conti added 1,800 linear feet on runway to the current 8,200 linear foot runway. Because the concrete needed to be as strong and long lasting as possible, the team utilized a “first ever” mix design with four aggregates instead of the conventional three.

In addition to the special concrete mixture used on the runway extension, Conti took advantage of a unique slip-form process to frame the concrete. This process called for the use of a machine to drop the concrete from a conveyor between two steel guides placed 25 feet apart. The machine slowly moved down the length of the runway pouring a depth of 16 inches of material for the first layer. After the first layer was poured, Conti crews placed reinforcing mesh on top, and then applied a second four-inch concrete layer. Another crew then utilized a “rolling bridge” to smooth and finish the surface. This project was also the first time the slip-form paving had been done at Newark Liberty International Airport.

The team executed work at an active airport in a highly urban area with minimal disruption to operations, delivering the project safely and on schedule.