| 65 The system was integrated into the existing runway safety areas, adding 143 metres of effective landing distance and 37 metres for take-off without extending the runway. Downer: Wellington Airport Runway REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 027 668 8618 peter.fraser@purere.co.nz purere.co.nz ‘We don’t wreck your roads, or your runways – it’s just that simple’. Water Blasting • Vapor Blasting Precision Restoration. Maximum Protection. That’s the key advantage of vapour blasting according to Peter Fraser – owner of Purere Blasting, a Wellington firm specialising in mobile surface preparation. Purere Blasting undertook the line removal at Wellington Airport as part of the EMAS project. This involved removing thousands of square meters of painted markings without creating ‘ghost lines’ or damaging the intricate runway grooves used to dissipate rainwater. As Fraser summarises ‘no one wants an ugly or non-compliant runway’. To ensure quality, WIAL trialled multiple techniques: only vapour blasting met the standard. ‘EMAS was an incredibly rewarding project’ explains Fraser, though he wryly notes ‘it’s difficult to explain to my wife what we did because when I show her our work, she says she can’t see anything.’ Which is the entire point. In terms of surface preparation, vapour blasting is a type of sandblasting where a small volume of water is injected into the blast stream, which acts as an in-built dust suppressant. In most cases, this eliminates the need for encapsulation. Like sandblasting, vapour blasting also offers significant flexibility in terms of achieving different blasting effects though changing pressures and abrasive types. ‘If you want a 50-micron profile with an SA2.5 clean standard on structural steel, we can do it’ explains Fraser. In addition to airports, Purere Blasting works on other forms of horizontal (paths, roads, carparks, and bridges) and vertical (structural steel, walls and brickwork, steel windows, and stencilled artwork) infrastructure. Purere also has specialist equipment that removes ATP or ‘rumble strip’ – so ‘we don’t wreck your highways either’. Being fully mobile, Purere can also work on in-situ plant and machinery – which is a bonus if you’re the Picton Ferry, as ‘we’ll come to you’. Purere Blasting has recently upgraded to two fully mobile blasting trucks, each with 425 cfm compressors. In addition to increased productivity, the upgrade also addressed noise (via hi-tech blast nozzles) and dust management (each truck has a dedicated dust collector). The combination of mobility, flexible technology, and environmental controls allows Purere Blasting to undertake all forms of surface preparation – often while working alongside other contractors. ‘We are a surface preparation specialist – not just a contractor with a noisy machine. At LT Transport, we are your local specialists in heavy haulage, Hiab crane lifting, and complex transport solutions—tackling the tough loads so you donʼt have to. Proud to support Downer on theWellington Airport Runway project 027 442 0744 dispatch@lttransport.co.nz staging improved productivity. A safe productivity assumption based on London’s Heathrow Airport experience was 180 to 200 blocks per overnight window. In Wellington, the team averaged about 350 blocks a night. Reconfiguring 27 kilometres of runway markings to the new configuration by blacking out and realigning them was particularly demanding. In an impressive feat of planning and execution, the planned five-hour window was completed in just three and a half hours, with 68 people involved. “It is just not as easy as we go out there, we line mark then we get out. It’s making sure each and every line marking is inspected, signed off by the client and handed over before the first international flight.” The national CCNZ recognition followed a demanding programme involving about 280 staff and repeated night shifts in cold conditions. The project won regional recognition from the Civil Contractors New Zealand Wellington Wairarapa branch for projects valued at more than $5 million and, despite not winning the national award category, Mallan says the team was very proud of the result and what was delivered for Wellington International Airport.
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