At Edmonton International Airport (YEG), the Departures Roadway was reaching the end of its lifecycle. Through a competitive tendering process, YEG officials awarded PCL Construction the opportunity to deliver critical repairs to the airport’s main artery.

With 7.5 million people passing through the airport in 2023, maintaining passenger flow and safety was a top priority. PCL’s significant experience both in the delivery of complex civil infrastructure and in the successful delivery of aviation projects at every scale from new builds to expansions, upgrades and fit outs proved essential to ensure airport operations were unaffected during construction. 

Given the importance of mitigating operational impacts, time was a critical factor in project delivery. Under a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery model, PCL’s early engagement in preconstruction gave the team opportunities to undertake design and constructability reviews, working to condense the construction schedule and get the project completed sooner than originally anticipated. As Construction Manager (CM), we pitched our partners on a plan to knock the construction schedule down to a tight 13 months. The key to the shorter schedule was PCL’s proposal to waterproof the roadway throughout the winter months. Once the partners agreed on the approach, it unlocked a series of changes to the design sequence. 

PCL engineering partner, RJC Engineers, got to work on the design changes. One advantage of having PCL as CM was that the demolition team could start immediately, removing sections of the deck while other design packages were being revised. By mid-December, 90 percent of the roadway had been removed, clearing the way for waterproofing teams to continue their work over the winter. We phased the work in coordination with YEG’s maintenance team to ensure minimal disruption to travelers, while always maintaining access to at least one pedway. 

The waterproofing could withstand temperatures as low as minus 30 Celsius. In mid- January, temperatures plummeted to a record low of -45C (-49F), stalling the waterproofing work and creating concerns below the deck. With the thermal barrier removed, pipes inside the airport were at greater risk of freezing. Using JSI® (Job Site Insights®) sensors – PCL’s proprietary Internet of Things platform that provides job site personnel with real-time alerts and notifications of adverse conditions, risks, and events – crews were able to monitor the ambient temperature near the water lines and then work with the airport maintenance team to ensure warm air flow was redirected to areas where the temperatures had dropped.

Another crucial decision by the PCL team was to turn to a supplier to prefabricate the formwork offsite. The lay down area at YEG was constrained, meaning crews would have had to defer work on the deck or underground, extending the project timeline. The offsite fabrication allowed crews to insert the completed formwork into place saving valuable time.

Over the course of the project, PCL and its partners made important infrastructure, safety and accessibility upgrades to the Departures Roadway, including in part, adding safety bollards in front of the terminal, and increasing traffic flow by expanding the exit ramp to two lanes. PCL handed over the project to YEG months ahead of schedule, demonstrating the value of constructor engagement through preconstruction. The timely completion ensured the Departures Roadway and Ramp were fully functional well ahead of the airport’s busy holiday season.