CHAPTER II, SECTION 5 SECTION 5 PERMANENT CONSTRUCTION A long range plan* for improvements of the PPG facilities and utilities was initially prepared in October 1952, then revised in 1954 after CASTLE,and again in June 1956 as REDWING neared completion. The conclusions and recommendations contained in these reports were predicated on sound and reliable information resulting from the experience with all phases of engineering, construction, operation and maintenance. Each plan covered those items considered necessary and desirable for each succeeding test operation. This Completion Report covers the items undertaken from 1 July 1954 through 30 July 1956. When the Long Range Plan of 1954 was formulated, all eventualities of the next operation could not possibly have been foreseen. Therefore, in addition to items recommended in this plan, a number of items had to be undertaken due to increases in operational requirements and participating personnel During REDWING, the parking area was increased by the addition of a southeast apron to provide for an increase in plane operations. The total apron area of approximately 300,000 square yards was paved with a 60-40 emulsion of bitumuls mixed with graded aggregate. The asphaltic concrete was deposited in windrows and spread with a blade. This operation was followed by rolling with steel rollers and finally with wobbly-wheel and compaction rollers. A 40-ton compaction roller was constructed in the field, largely from surveyed parts of other equipment. This roller consisted principally of eight large rubber-tired wheels and a frame on which a steel box, loaded with limonite concrete to provide the 40-ton load, was carried. The results obtained were good. One sub-base failure occurred which was found to be due to a rotting coconut log deeply embedded. This area was firm at the time of the CBR tests. There were for Operation REDWING beyond that anticipated when the plan wasfirst prepared. no failures of the parking apron base course or Shortly after the completion of Operation CASTLE, extensive improvements of the Fred After the completion of Operation CASTLE, the Fred runway showedsigns of cracking at the surface. The runway was periodically shut down, the surface thoroughly cleaned, and a sand-seal coat of approximately one-quarter of a gallon of asphalt per square yard was applied. This operation was followed by rolling and later by sweeping to remove the excess sand. The new parking aprons were similarly airfield were undertaken. This eventually involved the asphalt paving of approximately 300,000 square yards of the airfield parking aprons and seal coating approximately 114,000 square yards of runway. . The parking aprons were, for the most part, composed only of a thick dust pallative which, under repeated use during CASTLE, had become broken and unsuitable for airplane operations. Using a survey grid system, the paving during Operation REDWING. treated for protection of the surface from jet plane blasts. This seal coating was effective in that patching was necessary only during the latter half of Operation REDWING. entire existing apron area was tested by the CBR method. These tests indicated that the aprons were substandard and would be parti- cularly unsuitable for jet plane operations. The dust pallative of approximately two inches thick was removed and the base course thus exposed was tested again. The base course was removed in all areas that were found unstable, and after recompacting the sub-base, a new base course of graded aggregate was placed. The base course was compacted with a minimum CBR requirement of 80 per cent, but in 90 per cent of the tests the CBR’s rose to 98 per cent. This assured adequate support for wheel loads up to 100,000 pounds. In areas where the CBR’s indicated satisfactory stability, the surface was watered and rolled to grade preparatory to the application of asphaltic concrete. * Proposed Long Range Improvement Pro- grams dated October 1952, June 1954, and June 1956. Page 2-204 Figure 2-188. Jobsite Fabricated Roller