Wirtgen cold milling machines successfully rehabilitate runway in Malaysia

The contractor opted for high-performance Wirtgen cold milling machines as well as pavers from Vögele and rollers from Hamm for the complete rehabilitation of runway 1 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

On the basis of positive past experience, the contractor opted for high-performance Wirtgen cold milling machines as well as pavers from Vögele and rollers from Hamm for the complete rehabilitation of runway 1 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Airport projects of this magnitude call for high-performance, heavy-duty machines. First, the contractor completely rehabilitated runway 3 after extensive maintenance work was carried out as part of the KUL Runway Sustainability Master Plan. They were then given the go-ahead to begin work on the first complete rehabilitation of runway 1, including the adjacent taxiways. The first step in this process was removing 44,000 m3 of asphalt. 

The large-scale asphalt removal operation was carried out by a fleet of Wirtgen milling machines designed for high performance and consisting of both tried-and-tested and state-of-the-art technology: several large milling machines with a milling width of 2.0 m – two W 195s, one W 205, two W 1900s – as well as a W 1000 compact milling machine with a milling width of 1.0 m. With a total output of around 3,000 PS, the machines rose to the challenge: milling an area of approx. 4,000 m in length and 60 m in width. All the different models involved can be used in a variety of ways. Equipped with a two-meter standard milling drum, the W 195 and W 205 large milling machines, for example, can each mill to a depth of 33 cm. 

Due to the much higher load in the central area of the runway caused by the weight of the landing aircraft, the milling experts from contracting firm Nippon Road defined two areas, each with a different milling depth. The first area encompassed the central corridor measuring 18 meters wide, and the contractor decided on a milling depth of 25 cm for this section, which was continuously milled in two passes – first at a depth of 10 cm, then at a depth of 15 cm. The two outer strips of the runway, each 21.0 meters wide, formed the second area  where the company removed a 7.5 cm thick asphalt layer in a single pass.

One of the challenges was the bitumen-modified – and therefore extremely hard – asphalt that had been in use for many years. This meant that selecting the right round-shank pick for the job was also essential in order to achieve maximum milling performance and a long tool life. In this case, the company opted for genuine Wirtgen round-shank picks with a high-performance carbide tip. 

The LEVEL PRO PLUS leveling system developed in house by Wirtgen produced a uniformly milled, even surface without requiring any time-consuming finishing work whatsoever. It is fully integrated into the machine’s control system and continuously compares the current milling depth with the preset target value – and is also simple and convenient to operate. 

Front-loading the milled material optimized truck logistics throughout the entire milling operation – continuously filling the waiting trucks kept the milling process flowing smoothly as the trucks rotated on the fly. The milled asphalt material was then reused in an environmentally friendly manner at a nearby road construction project. 

Once the scheduled milling work, including surface cleaning, had been completed successfully, Ir Wan Zainuddin Omar, general manager of Nippon Road and simultaneously KUL project manager, was pleasd to confirm: “We know from years of experience that Wirtgen cold milling machines are extremely productive and versatile machines. Our new W 195 and W 205 are especially impressive thanks to their tremendous engine power with rapid advance rates and exceptional milling performance. As expected, the machines from the Wirtgen Group performed extremely reliably and, when needed, Wirtgen Malaysia promptly sent spare parts, components, or qualified service personnel to the job site.” 

At the end of the construction project at one of the world’s 30 busiest airports, pavers from Vögele and rollers from Hamm also had an opportunity to demonstrate their impressive level of performance. By precisely paving and professionally compacting the new asphalt surface, they successfully completed the complete rehabilitation of runway 1, including the adjacent taxiways, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.