Safety Area for Sydney Airport
HeidelbergCement’s subsidiary Hanson Australia supplied 430 cubic metres self-compacting concrete to build the 90 x 90 m Runway End Safety Area (RESA) for Sydney Airport’s east-west runway.
A RESA is a cleared ground area located at the end of each runway and built to Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) requirements. The end of the easy-west runway at Sydney Airport has been an awkward u-shape design, which meant standard compacting and finishing techniques could not be used, and a self-compacting concrete alternative was required.
The project had two objectives. The first was to develop a self-compacting mix that achieved sufficient flowability and strength, with high resistance to segregation. The concrete achieved the workability and strength required to carry a fully laden Airbus A380 weighing over 600 tonnes. Self-compacting concrete is rarely used in Australia, so Hanson followed overseas guidelines and standards.
The second objective of the project was to deliver all concrete on a single production date at a delivery rate of 120 cubic metres per hour, with zero quality issues. Hanson achieved this objective by following a detailed risk management plan. From start to finish, Hanson displayed their impressive technical expertise in formulating new specialised mixes underpinned by extensive testing and quality control that guaranteed high performance.
