Airport Area Concrete for Terminals, Hangars and Campus Work in Abilene

A terminal lobby, a hangar floor and a training campus next to the runway each ask for concrete that is flat, durable and carefully documented, and we plan the work around the Abilene Regional Airport area with that in mind. The airport covers 1,644 acres about 3 miles southeast of downtown Abilene, inside the city limits, and the City of Abilene owns and operates it. A public owner of that kind buys through formal procedures, expects to see every inspection signed off and wants a closeout file it can keep.

Voters approved a $20 million bond on May 3, 2025 for the terminal expansion, part of an estimated $70 million cost with up to $50 million in anticipated FAA grants. The 1968 terminal is slated for a larger first-floor lobby, an expanded boarding area for about 200 passengers and new escalators and elevators. None of that work is ours, but the flatwork, slabs, aprons and sidewalks that surround airport and campus facilities are what we build, with trade partners coordinated for the underground utilities and grading.

Texas State Technical College also operates an aviation maintenance hangar on the field, so the area combines airline, general aviation and educational uses in one place.

Terminals, hangars and training buildings

The building types most relevant to this district are aircraft hangars, government and municipal buildings such as terminal and operations spaces, education and training buildings and supporting warehouses. Each has a different slab. A hangar requires thickness and reinforcing for aircraft and tugs, while a terminal expansion needs a flat, finish-ready floor for stone, tile or carpet.

Airport owners also need pavements and curbs for roads, bus and shuttle lanes and public parking. Each element is checked against the drawings, and the engineer is asked to confirm joint layout, thickness and load assumptions, particularly where new concrete joins existing structures built in a different era.

Escalator and elevator replacement, which is part of the terminal plan, brings its own concrete: pits, sump details, thickened slab areas and openings that must be cored or formed to precise dimensions. Those items are laid out with the mechanical contractor before steel is set, and the tolerances are checked on the forms instead of after the pour.

Scheduling pours around operations

An active airport limits when and where work can occur. Airside access depends on flight schedules and security rules, and landside work near a terminal has to preserve public circulation. We build the schedule with the owner's operations staff, identify work windows, and plan deliveries so that concrete trucks, pump trucks and crews enter and leave on approved routes.

The field is in the city, so ready-mix plants are close enough for short hauls, but a pour still needs a confirmed time slot, a clear gate procedure and a backup date. Curing time is included in every sequence so that finished areas are not opened too soon. A larger boarding area or lobby usually calls for a wide, continuous pour, and we plan crews, finishing equipment and joint saw timing so that a single large placement is completed in one visit. Where a lobby must stay in service, we phase demolition and replacement in sections and coordinate with the architect on temporary protection.

Safety near aircraft and the public

Safety on an airfield begins with controlling vehicles, equipment and debris. Foreign object debris is a serious concern near aircraft, so we keep the work area clean, cover loose materials and sweep haul routes. Booms, pump masts and other tall equipment are measured against whatever height limits apply near the runways.

Around a terminal, the public is the main concern. We use barricades, signs and escorts to separate passengers from the work, schedule noisy tasks away from peak periods and protect existing finishes. The concrete trade partners wear protective equipment, manage silica dust with water and take heat precautions in summer. A written safety plan is submitted for owner review before work begins, and it is updated when conditions change.

Documented process for a public owner

The City of Abilene is the owner here, so we plan the paperwork alongside the concrete. Submittals for mixes, reinforcing and joint materials are prepared in advance. Each inspection hold point is placed on the schedule, including subgrade, forms, steel, embedded items and final placement. Cylinder tests and slump results are filed with the corresponding pour log.

At the end of the project we assemble a closeout binder organized by area and date. With that binder, an airport manager can answer a later question about the date, the mix and the weather for any given pour. We consider it part of the product, since public owners hold a contractor responsible for both the concrete and its record.

Working from the airport to the rest of the city

The airport area connects directly to the rest of Abilene and the highways that reach Sweetwater and Clyde. Because the site lies within the city, we can coordinate with the same permit office, ready-mix suppliers and inspection agencies that handle work elsewhere in town.

Owners with sites around the field, including industrial parcels, rental car and fuel facilities and campus buildings, may use the same crews and schedules. We treat each as a separate scope but share staging when it makes sense and the owners agree.

Concrete scope and airport trade coordination

Forming, steel setting, placing and finishing of footings, slabs, aprons, sidewalks, curb and gutter, ramps and equipment pads is done by the concrete trade partners. We also handle reinforcement placement and curing, and we perform sawing and joint sealing when the specification requires them. For work next to existing airport facilities, we cut and remove concrete in controlled sections to avoid damaging adjacent structures.

Utility work, earthwork and drainage are coordinated with trade partners who are responsible for their own work. We sequence them so their inspections are complete before concrete is placed. For related information, see concrete paving and municipal and public works for the procedures we follow with city owners.

Review an airport-area project

Send the plans, the operating constraints and the bid schedule, and we will go through hold points, work windows and the closeout records you expect.

Common Questions

Do you work on active airfields?

We plan work around the airport's operating rules, which can include airside access limits, escort requirements and restrictions on equipment height and debris. These conditions are discussed before bidding so they are reflected in the price and schedule.

Can a terminal floor be placed to the flatness a finish installer needs?

Yes, when the specification sets a target, we plan the placement, finishing method and curing to meet it, then measure the result. Flooring contractors usually also require a moisture test, which we schedule before their work begins.

How do you work with the City of Abilene?

We follow the city's bid and contract procedures, provide the submittals and inspection schedule the contract requires and keep the city's project manager informed of pour dates. Records are delivered in an organized closeout package.

What about the underground utilities near a runway or terminal?

We coordinate trade partners for those utilities, locate existing lines before digging and keep their inspection records available for the binder. Their work has to be accepted before the concrete is placed over it.

Is a hangar slab different from a warehouse slab?

Often it is thicker and more heavily reinforced, with slopes and drains designed for fuel and water. The engineer sets the specification, and we review the loads, joints and drains with the owner before the pour.