Springdale Municipal Airport Regional Detention SP21-03

Project OverviewDescripción del proyecto

Springdale, Arkansas has experienced exceptional mass flooding in recent history, hurting the area both environmentally and economically. The City of Springdale needed a solution that would counteract the effects of flash flooding and create a space for excess water to be deposited. Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) was selected to help their flood issues by expanding an existing drainage channel into a 10-acre detention basin.

The Springdale Municipal Airport Regional Detention project consisted of 47,000 cubic yards of earthwork export and installing 70 linear feet of box culverts. ESS chose a talented team of subcontractors to join the opportunity to contribute to the environmental and economic growth of the City of Springdale.

Since the project team was taking an existing storm drainage system and widening it, rainfall consistently impacted operations. A majority of the project was executed during the rainy season in Springdale, making the weather a heavy influence on the schedule. Each time there were wet conditions, ESS project teams assessed the situation and created innovative solutions to maintain the construction pace, such as creating temporary storm drainage channels. This allowed water to funnel away from the dig site and operations to continue safely.

Exporting 47,000 cubic yards of earthwork created a massive haul of matter to relocate. Luther George Park in Springdale, Arkansas was undergoing redesign construction during the Springdale Municipal Airport Regional Detention project. To offset project costs, the City of Springdale allowed ESS to take excess material from excavation for use at Luther George Park. This method of recycling was of major value to both the detention basin project and the park construction.

Rather than shutting down airport operations, ESS project teams instead worked near and around the fully operational takeoff and landing strip. Averaging 171 aircraft operations a day, the Springdale Municipal Airport is one of the busiest airports in Arkansas.

Air traffic poses a substantial safety threat to all airport construction jobs. To remain visible to all parties, all ESS equipment within the safety zone had an orange and white checkered flag. However, most of the construction site was out of view from the air traffic control tower. To combat this safety issue, ESS project teams used two-way radio communication to be in constant contact with the airport. Having this exceptional open connection to the ongoing operations helped all parties be aware and alert.

All members of the project team understood and appreciated what the project would do for Springdale’s environment and economic outlook. Throughout the project, cooperation between ESS, the Owner, the Springdale Municipal Airport, and subcontractors was critical. Working together, the project team was able to execute the 10-acre detention basin in nine months. With the new stormwater solution in place, flash floods will cause less damage to the city. The project will have lasting environmental and economic effects on the City of Springfield.