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Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport

Facts and Figures
Company PORR Construct SRL
Principal National Company of Airports Bucharest
Location Otopeni - Romania
Type Airport construction
Runtime 08.2020 - 01.2021

Smooth flight.

Within just five months, PORR Construct has modernised one of the Romania’s most important runways at Henri Coanda International Airport in Bucharest.

PORR Construct was entrusted with the design and execution of the rehabilitation works for the existing structure of the runway. These include connection areas to taxi ways, new construction of the rain water drainage system and modernisation of the existing visual aids system for navigation.

The runway pavement has been designed in accordance with the client’s requirements and the applicable norms and aviation standards. The 45m-wide runway comes with a cross profile of 1.3 %, 7.5m shoulders and a 2.5 % slope. For computing the bearing strength of the pavement, a Pavement Classification Number (PCN for short) of 92 R/D/W/T had to be ensured.

The rehabilitation works consisted of milling of existing asphalt (28,600m2) and concrete layers (46,900m2) on variable depths, replacing damaged concrete slabs (6,500m3), recalibration and filling of joints (115,000m) along with the laying of asphalt mixtures (117,000t) and markings (16,000m2) in order to resume the runway functionality.

For the first time, PORR Construct used an automated screed control system for asphalt on airport pavements, improving both accuracy and productivity. Thus, the paving process used non-contact electronic guidance systems to guide the paver along the grade without the aid of string lines. Stringless paving allows for elimination of hubs, pins, sensors or wands, clamps, and string lines (wires, cables etc.).

The BIM team implemented this digitisation tool using the Trimble PCS900 Paving Control System and input data (3D models) generated in-house. The paving team was excited to switch from traditional survey and paving methods to 3D models and electronic guidance.

The initial duration provided for the execution of the works was eight months. Against the background of the substantial decrease of the traffic as a result of the COVID pandemic, PORR Construct managed to reduce the execution time to approximately five months.

Technical data.

Runway length 3.5km
Markings 16.000m2
Built area 25ha
Asphalt 117,000t
Concrete 6,500m3
Ballast 78,000m3
Drainage channels 8,100m
Primary and secondary power cables 180,000m
Aeronautical beacons 1,753 pieces
Precision Approach Path Indicator 8 pieces