Hopefully next summer I will be going to Honduras to build an airstrip for a hospital. I have access to a bulldozer for the project so that should help. I have no idea how to make a good airstrip and am looking for some tips. I am hoping to get a civil engineer to help me out before I go down. The land is fairly level with parts of it having dense vegetation, like large bushes and trees. The strip will be 3000' long. The ground is a light dirt and sand mix, and one end of the runway will end at the ocean.

You will need Beer. Be easy on the equipment.

Cheers

I've built several strips myself with all kinds of different equipment, depending on what was available. Everything from brand new maintainer to worn out maintainer to skid loader to big, articulating wheel loader to bulldozer to a makeshift drag pulled behind a pickup. I've used a transit to shoot my line and I've used the good ol' eyeball and flagging tape, too.

However, in all instances, the less I disturbed the natural soil compaction, the better off I was (especially if it's sandy). Getting the brush cleared is sometimes the hardest part to get done without making big holes. If it's pretty level (as you noted) and if you can clear the vegetetion without tearing up the ground too much, then just knock down the high spots and fill the low spots. It should turn out fine, that is for a light plane. If you use a dozer, you probably want to finish it with some sort of drag to erase the "cat tracks". And then pray for a nice rain to settle it all in.
Just had a thought. The whole previous paragraph may be voided if you are planning to top it with a road base material....except the praying for rain part.

And ditto Rob. Definitely requires beer for a successful outcome.

Don't know if that really helps you out any, but just a quick snapshot of my experiences. I'd be glad to answer any questions that come up. But remember, my advice may be worth exactly what it costs.

Agree with RWM...the less disturbance the better.

How big is the dozer and how large are the trees? Taking out large tree stumps can be very tedious work with an undersized machine, especially if it's in poor repair. The larger the machine the better when it comes to big stumps. If you have a choice, a 40,000# or larger excavator with a thumb is a way better option.

Normal practice would be to clear and grub. Either pile slash well beyond the clearing or burn. If you are going to fill the site, the log road method is to turn the stumps over in their holes and bury under 3 feet or so of fill. Could also bury the rest of it in the strip if you have enough material to work with and need elevation.

Lots of different ways to skin a cat. Remember that it ain't rocket science it's just dirt!

gb

Several pages of good info in a topic of the same name here:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4536

Although it's more oriented toward sod management than carving a swath out of the jungle.

log road burial method is quick and can be more stable initially, especially on hillsides, but organic material eventually decomposes and then settles leaving low spots or even holes.

Drainage is critical; build embankment above surrounding ground or provide good ditches to get water away from runway. Also provide cross-slope or crown on runway to get water off surface. Wet surface or embankment leads to erosion, ruts, or pot holes.

Erosion is also caused by prop blast; soil surface needs binder or turf so particles are not blown away on ends where aircraft is accelerating.

If you have access to limited quantity of high quality surface material, use it on ends to touchdown zone. Embankment needs to be stronger in these areas to resist aircraft impact loads. Middle third of runway where aircraft is beginning to lift off or is rolling smoothly on landing is less critical for strength.

No sense recreating the wheel here. Tour other airstrips in the neighborhood and take notes of problems to be avoided or successful design features before you start. Copy what works and fix what doesn't work. Get somebody local involved in construction to follow up with operation/maintenance after you leave.

Good luck, sounds like a fun project

"Sometimes you got to break some eggs to make an omlet"!

James

When you get all thru and are patting yourself on the back, then hire a road grader to finish the job. I have built 2 grass strips, and in the process of building a third. Any good grader man in 1/2 a day will make your grades really nice. You cant get all the humps and holes out, even with a good eye on the dozer or scraper. Money well spent on a grader. Availability in Honduras may be an issue

Jim

In one of my post about Grand Gulch -there was a video response that I watched .Went over to Daughters house the other day and a Boat and trailer was abounded out front. The trailer looks like the Video -except for the blade . http://trailgrader.com/ If it's stll there till the weekend I'll take it out to ranch and get out the welding rod. Also found a 8ft. shear in abondended house in neighborhood. I've built a number of airstrips over the years -check the prevailing wind to try and get into /from wind .

Dang!!!!!!..............sounds like a good time may have to join you......could make a tire packer out of a bunch of old wheels.