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Home » Asphalt Contractor » July 2007

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Taking off in Northern Minnesota

Paving innovations

Unique airport project challenges call for advice, advance planning and efficient compaction.

During paving of the runway, Northstar Materials used and Ingersoll Rand DD-158HFA, two pneumatic tire compactors and a DD-130 steel-drum compactor as a finish compactor.

The job specification called for P-401, a Superpave used at airports that comes with its own set of Federal Aviation Administration specifications.

A unique safety concern on the job was the cross runway that remained open to air traffic. Northstar Materials had to stay 250 feet clear of the operating runway at all times.

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Security was also a factor. Trucks entered through two gates at the airport. "The engineer posted one person at each gate to verify the trucks," says Ganske. "We had to provide airport security with a list of people who were going to be on the project each day."

Northstar Materials is based in Bemidji. The company is a subsidiary of Knife River Corporation and lays 900,000 tons of asphalt each year, working in northern Minnesota and North Dakota. During the peak of the paving season, Northstar Materials employs 280 people. Ninety percent of the company's asphalt work involves highway construction, with the remaining 10 percent is commercial and municipal work.

The entire runway reconstruction, including grading, base work, electrical and paving, took four months. One of Minnesota's most important airports now has a rebuilt runway that will serve the public for years to come.

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