Gibraltar Rock, Sahara Sand team on JFK Airport reconstruction

Stone is delivered to JFK Airport from a quarry in Belle Mead, New Jersey. Photo courtesy of the Silvi Group

Sahara Sand and Gibraltar Rock, divisions of the Silvi Group Cos., are wrapping up the delivery of 185,000 tons of sand and stone used to manufacture ready-mixed concrete on site for a John F. Kennedy International Airport runway reconstruction project.

The multi-million dollar project, which Walsh Construction is managing, consists of the reconstruction of runway No. 3. According to the Silvi Group, the reconstruction abandons traditional asphalt overlay applications by instead installing an 18-in. concrete overlay, which will reduce delays and provide long-term maintenance savings due to the longer lifespan of the concrete.

The runway reconstruction began in March and is expected to be completed this August.

Sahara Sand and Gibraltar Rock have been supplying sand and stone at a pace of 170 dump trucks per night during a three-and-half month period. The stone deliveries originate from a quarry in Belle Mead, New Jersey, and are hauled 75 miles to the airport location in Queens, New York.

The sand deliveries originate from the Sahara Sand at Eagles Lake Reserve site. This haul is 120 miles.

Utilizing an on-site concrete plant, Walsh Construction is able to pour upwards of 3,000 yd. of concrete a day.

According to the Silvi Group, Gibraltar Rock was selected as the supplier for the runway expansion because of its ability to handle the volume of daily deliveries, as well as the hardness of the stone that was required as a specification of the stringent Port Authority demands.

The Silvi Group, founded in 1946 and headquartered in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, is made up of Silvi Concrete, Sahara Sand, Riverside Construction Materials, and Gibraltar Rock.