KATHMANDU, Nepal –
Airmen and Nepalese officials worked together to
repair the runway at the Tribhuvan International Airport here May 9 through
10.
Airmen with the 36th Contingency Response Group attached to Joint
Task Force-505 and members of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal teamed up to
conduct necessary repairs to the airfield after it sustained damage following a
magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the nation April 25. Subsequent heavy
airlift with large amounts of relief supplies significantly increased aircraft
traffic through the airfield, further straining the runway.
"The repairs
will allow the continued throughput of humanitarian aid and relief supplies by
ultimately preserving the life of the single international airport in Nepal,"
said Capt. Ryan White, 36th CRG airfield operations. "This airfield is Nepal's
lifeline for relief supplies and for international travel, so these repairs will
help the airfield keep pace with the aid coming in so the Government of Nepal
can keep getting assistance to the people who need it."
The two nations
conducted joint assessments for three nights prior to the repairs by evaluating
20 critical areas along the entire 9,500-foot runway. They conducted visual
assessments by evaluating for cracks, potholes or ruts to ensure damage would
not hinder operations or impact aircraft. They also accomplished a runway
bearing capacity investigation to determine its strength by drilling in the
pavement and testing the soil up to 4 feet below the surface.
The team's
findings determined two critical areas in need of repairs, which were located in
the landing zones of the runway.
During the dark of the nights when
operations ceased at the airport, four Airmen joined the six-man Nepalese team
to conduct the repairs.
With their combined efforts, they repaired 250
square feet of the runway the first night and an area of eight square feet the
following night.
The Nepalese team and Airmen repaired the compromised
locations by first removing the damaged surface, cleaning out debris, and then
filling the area with an asphalt mixture.
The repair efforts also proved
to be an opportunity for the two nations to exchange and compare different
repair techniques. For the first repair, the teams used the Nepalese technique
for repair by using a cold mix asphalt and a sand seal, which is a mixture
containing sand and tar. The Airmen then worked with the Nepalese to accomplish
the repair by applying the method they typically use, which is a prepared,
harder cold mix asphalt able to withstand more impact weight without additional
repairs or applications.
"It was a great opportunity to share our runway
repair operations with our partners and friends in this region," White said.
"Together, we hope to come up with a viable option to repair the runway to
sustain operations in Kathmandu."
Within one to three hours of completing
the repairs, the runway was operational again - just in time for the airport to
open up and receive morning flights and thousands of pounds of relief
supplies.
"These expedient repairs are critical at this point because it
doesn't require a complete shutdown of the runway," said Capt. Clark Morgan,
36th Mobility Readiness Squadron Contingency Engineer Flight commander. "If the
runway closes, then aid stops, and we want to help keep the missions moving to
keep receiving humanitarian assistance relief supplies so the Government of
Nepal can keep focusing on getting the aid to the people who need it while
resting assured that the runway will stay open and operational."
The
Nepalese officials and Airmen plan to continue doing daily visual assessments to
ensure the integrity of the runway remains intact and to identify any additional
repairs if necessary.
The 36th CRG Airmen arrived in Nepal from Andersen
Air Force Base, Guam, May 5, and attached to JTF 505 to assist the Government of
Nepal, Nepalese Army, and the U.S. Agency for International Development with
airfield operations and processing relief supplies.