PriDE manages Defence Estates’ South East Regional Prime Contract (SE RPC). Valued at around £380m, the SE RPC is one of five regional prime contracts currently in place in the UK.

Site: RAF Brize Norton

Project: Runways Upgrade

Increased capability. 77,000 tonnes of asphalt. 13,000 new light fittings. RAF Brize Norton operations go CAT 11

Delivery

Fully operational runway with associated CAT II Airfield Ground Lighting (AGL) and Control Management System (CMS) meeting relevant Defence Standards.

Innovation

Use of bolthole period with RAF Fairford to maintain programme Digital Control Management System - first on a military establishment.

Added Value

Quick procurement maintained operational use of airfield. Accommodates the existing and future needs of the RAF CATARA project by enhancing use and extending the life of the runway.

Contract Value/Programme

Circa £21m - Delivered in three phases: Runway 08-26 17 weeks, Taxiways A-G 36 weeks and AGL CMS/MT Route 52 weeks.

Background

Investigations by the DE Airfield Specialists in 2002 identified that the main runway and taxiways at RAF Brize Norton could suffer catastrophic failure by 2006; consequently interim repairs had been undertaken to extend the life to 2005. Following the closure of RAF Lyneham as an RAF airfield, the CATARA Project Board decided that operations would move to Brize Norton and that it would be required to operate CAT 11.

In March 2005, DE appointed PriDE to deliver the work under the SE RPC. The project was divided into various phases. The first comprised the bolthole period with RAF Fairford, when the main runway and AGL works were completed by the end of the agreed bolthole period. Once flying operations had resumed at Brize Norton, the delivery of the taxiway perimeter road, BAK 14 Arrestor and Rotary Hydraulic Arrestor Gear (RHAG) installation commenced.

The project team jointly managed a significant change caused by failure of the specified slurry sealing on taxiways to be fit for purpose. The customer specification, previously tried and tested, failed due to extreme weather conditions experienced at the time of laying. A subsequent requirement to remove the RHAG hardware and edge sheave protection, together with the extended installation of a new AGL Control System, saw a further phase with full handover occurring in July 2007.