BY BRIAN M. KALISH
settlement, and water pressure. Four piezometers — or water
meters — and 27 settlement plates, installed at various depths, provide
measurements down to the millimeter. Weekly readings provide a
progress report as the soil compacts.
Passengers looking out the window from Terminal C at Reagan
National may notice a manmade twelve foot high grass-covered hill
next to the airfield. The hill is a critical component that will enable the
operation of a new 14-gate concourse to replace Gate 35X, as part of
“Project Journey.”
Project Journey will transform the passenger experience by providing
passengers with greater connectivity, more shopping and dining
choices, and a more pleasant post-security environment. The new
concourse will have direct, enclosed access to planes via jetbridges,
spacious holdrooms, new concessions, and an American Airlines
Admirals Club lounge. It will eliminate the need for travelers to ride
buses from the terminal to board regional jets parked outside.
The hill is known as “surcharge” in construction industry lingo and
was built using a total of more than 4,000 truckloads of crushed
aggregate and dirt material. Since the area where the new concourse
will stand is on land reclaimed from the Potomac River, ground water
saturates the subsoil several feet beneath the surface. The soil must
be strengthened before layers of pavement supporting heavy parked
aircraft can be constructed.
The surcharge does its job by applying pressure to expel ground
water beneath layers of topsoil. It is closely monitored for stability,
FLYWASHINGTON.COM 14 AUTUMN 2018
Soil settlement began in April and is expected to stabilize in the fall.
Grading and construction of a 36-inch thick apron pavement will
follow. Aircraft parking will be relocated to the site, then a second
surcharge supporting the new 14-gate concourse will be built.
Overseeing this phase of construction project is Shimelis Meskellie, a
civil engineer with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority,
whose prior experience includes managing construction of the I-495
and I-95 express lanes in Virginia. His primary challenge is keeping the
airport running with little to no impact on existing flight operations,
particularly for American Airlines, whose regional operation is closest
to the construction site. “There is a balance,” he says, “as we proceed
without affecting overall airport operations and deliver the project on-
time and on-budget.”
While working on public-facing projects is fun for Meskellie, he says
his top priority is safety, for both employees and the public, and
environmental compliance.
He also relies heavily on his team and outside contractors.
“Implementing a construction contract is a coordinated team effort,”
Meskellie says. “Successful delivery of the contract signifies good
coordination effort among the teams and working as a coordinator,
I … take pride as team player and leader.”
“It is not a personal pride,” he adds. “It is a team effort.”