out and then go back at it again.” With permafrost thaw already imposing $11 million annually in maintenance costs on Canada’s northern district alone, these delays carry serious financial consequences. ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS FOR EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS Creating runway surfaces that withstand Northern Region extremes requires more than conventional engineering. As permafrost temperatures rise at 0.6°F per decade across Alaska and northern Canada, traditional construction methods fail. Freeze-thaw cycles cause water to expand by 9% when freezing, shattering aggregate bonds and creating dangerous surface irregularities that ground aircraft. “A fundamental mission is to be a steward of the environment where our products are environmentally sound,” Vitale emphasizes. “The chemistries The logistical challenges multiply when everything must arrive by air. Many runways under construction are the very lifelines needed to deliver construction materials, creating a circular dependency that requires precise planning. Equipment that southern contractors take for granted may not exist in remote communities, forcing teams to adapt on site. “When we show up to support either the airport operator or contractor, they may not have all the equipment we expect,” Fenelon observes.“When we get to site, we have to be flexible with our plan and adapt to those challenges. The skill level and experience are not the same as a larger mainstream contractor in more easily accessible communities where there’s road access.” Weather compounds every difficulty. “When we get days of rain, it stops our installation,” Fenelon continues. “We have to wait for the surface to dry 123 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 08 MIDWEST INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY, INC.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx