Not one, not two, but four pavers operating in tandem laid a smooth mat of asphalt as Rogers' worked to remodel Ft. Campbell's Keyhole Hardstand Area. The Keyhole Hardstand was originally built during World War II to accommodate the aircraft of that era. Today's larger and heavier aircraft required a modified hardstand for parking. The first step in rehabilitating the aircraft parking area was to remove four large concrete segments that resembled the shape of an old-fashioned keyhole. Lane Construction, prime contractor, replaced the multiple "keyhole" segments with a single concrete hardstand that had an asphalt shoulder.

Special permission was granted by Ft. Campbell to enter their "no-fly" zone to capture pictures of this project. Photos by Arnold Bailey and Gary Johnson.

Specifications on the asphalt shoulder required that densities be met on the joints, as well as stating that if the temperature of any joint dropped below 170 degrees, that joint would be sawed and removed. "Using two pavers couldn't have kept a joint hot, we decided to use four pavers to ensure the temperature requirements were met. It just required some scheduling," said Gary Johnson, Area Construction Manager. The 2200' x 65' area required 2700 tons of asphalt to complete the 3" mat. Temperature limitations didn't allow loading of trucks until 7:30. Glenn Wheeler, asphalt plant operator, had all 5 of the 200-ton silos filled prior to the 7:30 load time. There were 22 trucks providing a steady flow of material to the job. By 2:30 that afternoon, the last load of asphalt was in place. Gary Johnson credits the teamwork of Chris Foster, Rob Haberlock, Jewell Cotton, Troy Johnson, Glenn Wheeler, Steve Rogers, Matt Maxfield, and Randy Sullivan with making the project a success.

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