Mumbai airports completes recarpeting of the second runway

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airports (CSMIA), has completed re-carpeting work of its secondary runway – Runway 14/32.

The recarpeting initiative commenced on December 9, 2022, and concluded on June 10, 2023. An official statement was released on Monday, June 12, by the airport office.

The international airport adopted a structured approach to ensure a smooth and efficient execution of the project for its secondary runway 14/32, where an average of about 200 personnel worked daily. On an average 950 flights operate daily from CSMIA, making it imperative that runways remain in optimal condition to maintain continuous and safe aircraft operations, the official statement issued reads.

Moreover, to ensure swift progress in the project, the runway remained closed for about 12 hours daily. This uninterrupted period enabled the team to execute their tasks meticulously. The main resurfacing work covered a substantial area, with the runway spanning an impressive length of 2,210 metres (excluding the intersection portion) and boasting a breadth of 75 metres. This led to the upgradation of all stressed portions of the runway surface with the laying of about 72,500 metric tonne (MT) asphalt.

CSMIA adopted the widely acclaimed ‘mill and fill’ technique for Runway 14/32 that comprises carefully orchestrated steps. The process includes precise removal of existing airfield ground lighting fittings by core cutting, subsequent core filling with quick set concrete, precise milling of the existing surface to the required dep-th, precise overlaying with layers of asphalt (DBM, AC) using adva-nced paver machines, followed by coring on the new surface to fix fittings as per the planned strip chart.

Finally, it concluded with comprehensive testing and commissioning after meticulous installation of all necessary fittings. As per CSMIA, the overlay process enhances the cross slopes, thereby enhancing the runway’s ability to efficiently drain off surface water, especially during monsoon. And the recarpeting work significantly improves the runway’s friction value, augmenting overall operational efficiency.

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