Designing a large-scale, full-depth runway replacement on a remote volcanic island is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
DRMP, in partnership with AVCON and prime consultant OTIE, led the design effort for the 10,000-foot runway replacement at the Ascension Island Auxiliary Airfield, which is jointly operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the U.S. Space Force (USSF). The airfield supports military and space missions, as well as limited commercial flights.
Ascension Island is located 500 miles below the equator in the Atlantic Ocean halfway between South America and Africa.
Before becoming DRMP’s Federal Services Director, I spent the first 20 years of my career in the U.S. Air Force as a Civil Engineer Officer. This project was an opportunity for me to blend my military planning experience – which gave me a stronger understanding of this project – with our team’s superb technical competence.
This $3.2 million survey and design effort enabled the approximately $300 million reconstruction of the runway and 6 miles of support roadways. It ensured compliance with both United Kingdom and United States airfield, environmental, and other engineering standards.
The design of the project began in September 2016, and construction began in early 2020. The eastern half of the runway was completed in August 2022, and the western half was completed in April 2023. The contractor is now demobilizing, and the entire effort should finish in June.
Once construction began, DRMP and AVCON were called to provide engineering reach back support to the Title II construction inspection team led by OTIE-RS&H Joint Venture.
The Ascension Runway was a valuable opportunity for DRMP and one that provided our technical staff with numerous challenges and experiences. This complex project showcased our firm’s specialties and capabilities that we continue to bring to bear in the federal marketplace.
Surveying Overseas
Survey and civil engineering expertise was an essential aspect of this project. Our knowledge of the island and our ability to combine military and logistical planning with our survey and design expertise is what made DRMP the right choice to lead this complex effort.
DRMP deployed a team of seven surveyors and three engineers to the island for the initial site visit. We were allotted one pallet position on the aircraft to fit all our survey equipment and two weeks on the island to perform a design-quality survey of over a square mile of rugged terrain. Getting this right was critical since a return trip would have been costly and had significant schedule impacts.
Aside from the geographic location, there are two unique features of this project. First, DRMP integrated aerial photogrammetry, static LiDAR, and traditional survey techniques to perform this massive survey in only two weeks. This would have taken an estimated two months using traditional methods. Additionally, we developed a logistics plan to accompany the design, detailing available options to mobilize and transport equipment and materials to this remote location, something not typically done with design. However, it assisted both bidding contractors and the government with understanding the unique requirements for getting to and operating on Ascension Island.
For design and construction phase services, I’m proud to have worked with such professionals both within DRMP and our AVCON, OTIE, and RS&H partners. Spanning almost seven years from the start of design to construction completion, the success of this project depended on a consistent team effort by all involved.
