
Working in partnership with IWAK and the main Contractor, AtkinsRéalis provided technical leadership for the entire duration of the Knock rehabilitation project. We ensured effective collaboration between the stakeholders to ensure from early planning and design stages, through detailed design stage (with ECI), through construction and handover to post-construction compliance approvals by IAA that delay, and cost overrun risk was mitigated.
We will fully leverage this experience on Knock to deliver a cost-effective and compliant solution to the Cork overlay ECI design. Through collaboration and deep technical knowledge, we were able to bring significant savings to the project, for example;
- The responsibility of the trustees of the Airport is to ensure that any profits generated by the airport are re invested in the airport with a focus on providing support to the surrounding region. AtkinsRéalis worked with the entire Board of Directors to ensure that value for money was achieved across the project.
- The AtkinsRéalis design team took a value-based approach to the overlay design to reduce the overlay depth by 30mm resulting in over €2.0m of savings.
- We successfully integrated 2,5000t of waste planings into the permanent works (in de-lethalisation zones) saving at least €150k of imported material and reducing the carbon footprint of the works significantly.
- We sought and secured from IAA the retention of a raised edge kerb on the runway removing the need for wholesale replacement of the pavement drainage saving upwards of €750k.
- We reduced the area to be resurfaced at the turning pads reducing cost and programme
- We realigned the Bravo taxi-way to increase capacity without the need for an increase in apron area
During the tender stage AtkinsRéalis led the technical assessment of the Contractors’ proposals in tandem with the Client and including value engineering options and material assessment including Marshall, BBA and SMA options.
We propose to bring the core team that successfully delivered the Knock rehabilitation project to the Cork Over lay project to ensure that all relevant learning is brought to the table, commencing we would suggest with a lessons learned work shop.
Speaking at the opening of the runway in September 2019, An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, said:
“Todays’ ceremony marks the successful completion of a truly ambitious project. All of the work was done on time and on budget and I really want to acknowledge the work of the main contractors Lagan Aviation and Clare Civil Engineering, and also project partners AtkinsRéalis.”
AtkinsRéalis were appointed as lead designer, procurement support and NEC Project Manager for the detailed design, ECI and main works contract for runway overlay
Rehabilitation scope of work include the following:
- resurfacing the runway and taxiway pavements with grooved Marshall Asphalt; increase PCN to accommodate current / future anticipated aircraft size
- replacing old tungsten halogen airfield ground light (AGL) fittings and associated cabling
- reinstating the pavement markings in accordance with EASA and IAA requirements.