Fort Miller’s Super-Slab® system helped Vancouver International Airport prove that precast concrete taxiway repair can be executed in tight overnight windows without sacrificing durability or airfield safety.

Project Details

• Owner: Vancouver Airport Authority (YVR)
• Engineer: Associated Engineering (sub-engineer: Applied Research Associates)
• Contractor / Construction Manager: Peter Kiewit Sons, Inc.
• Project Completion: 2019
• Scope: 12 Super-Slab® precast concrete pavement panels (Taxiway Victor pilot section)

Project Overview

At a major international airport, “downtime” often means delayed flights, compressed schedules, and operational ripple effects. Vancouver International Airport (YVR) needed a faster, more predictable way to replace distressed concrete pavement without extended closures.

YVR selected Taxiway Victor as a pilot location to test whether precast concrete taxiway repair could deliver airfield-level performance while fitting into short overnight work windows. Fort Miller supported the project with its Super-Slab® precast pavement system, providing a solution built for speed, precision, and rapid return to service.

The work became a milestone application: the first use of precast concrete pavement on a Canadian airfield, and one of the most significant North American airfield installations in nearly two decades.

Scope and Details

Fort Miller supported the Taxiway Victor pilot replacement with twelve Super-Slab® precast concrete pavement panels.

Installation was executed across three overnight shifts (approximately eight hours each) to minimize disruption to daily airfield operations, followed by final grouting and joint sealing before reopening.

To meet airfield loading requirements and ensure a smooth, durable riding surface, panels were detailed with heavy reinforcement and engineered load transfer. Select panels also incorporated embedded airfield lighting fixture cans, allowing the taxiway lighting system to be integrated directly into the precast elements.

Impact and Innovation

This pilot project demonstrated how precast concrete taxiway repair can compress construction schedules into reliable overnight closures without compromising durability or operational safety.

Super-Slab® panels supported rapid reopening, a critical advantage in 24/7 airfield environments. The system’s structural efficiency also reduced the extent of excavation and base replacement typically associated with conventional airfield pavement reconstruction, saving time and simplifying staging.

Equally important, the project validated a repeatable model for future runway and taxiway work. With a proven approach for precision fabrication, custom geometry, and accelerated installation, YVR gained a scalable pathway to rehabilitate additional airfield pavement with less disruption and more schedule certainty.