Sprinting out of the gates in January 2023, Granite Construction is performing work at an Olympic level at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) thanks to the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) award of a $174-million contract to construct new exit taxiways and re-construct sections of existing runways.
The Granite crew works through the night with the Wirtgen SP94i Slipform Paver to safely accelerate the schedule. Other equipment on the project includes a Guntert & Zimmerman S600 Slipform Paver, and an Allen Engineering Triple Roller Tube Paver.
For the past year, Granite crews have been working double, 10-hour shifts, six days a week to extend the pavement life and improve safety and operational efficiency on the airfield in advance of the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in Los Angeles.
Runway 6L-24R was closed for 161 days to enable the work to safely take place. Runway 6R-24L was used for both departing and arriving aircraft during the closure.
“This project allows Granite to further enhance our quality relationship with LAWA that has been developing since 2016,” said Granite VP of Regional Operations Scott McArthur. “We appreciate being trusted with a project that will provide increased safety and efficiency to one of the world’s busiest airports.”
With the addition of four new high-speed exits and the rehabilitation of existing runway pavements, Los Angeles World Airports will increase its operational capacity and enhance safety throughout the airfield. Working collaboratively with LAWA Airport Operations, Granite has been able to plan, execute, and implement operational safety strategies in all scopes of work. This collaborative effort resulted in zero runway or taxiway incursions on the project.
The scope of work includes building four new high-speed exit taxiways alongside existing Runway 6L-24R, reconstruction of the concrete pavement keel section of Runway 6R-24L on the north airfield, and rehabilitation of hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavement surfacing on Runway 6R-24R. Completion of the work is targeted for November 2024 and is projected to be completed under budget and ahead of schedule.
For the concrete pavement going into Runway 24R, the Subbase Course consists of six inches of FAA P-209 Crushed Virgin Aggregate Base placed on 100% compacted FAA P-152 subgrade. The Flexible Base Course is composed of five inches of FAA P-403 Hot Mix Asphalt, and the Rigid Course is 19 inches of FAA P-501 Concrete Pavement with some transitional sections requiring up to 23.75-inch thickened edges. The length of the Runway 24R Keel Section Rehabilitation is 3,400 linear feet.
Diamond grinding was performed to ensure strict smoothness and rideability requirements were met. Additionally, the runway required sawcut grooving over the entire keel section to provide proper surface friction and prevent hydroplaning during wet weather conditions.
The Granite batch plant at dawn.
Granite is recycling approximately 98,000 tons of materials onsite and batching 67,000 cubic yards of concrete that meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) P-501 pavement standards for use in the runways and taxiways. By batching concrete just offsite at the designated laydown area, Granite maintained better control of the mix design, delivery, and overall finished product as opposed to using local suppliers without a vested interest in the success of the project. The batch plant is located offsite but on airport property, reducing the travel distance to 7.5 miles.
When working at airports, the strict quality requirements for the P-501 concrete mix are always a challenge. Given the stresses that runways are subject to, extremely strict quality standards were maintained throughout the project. With their own batch plant, Granite ensured the quality of the mix, the on-site aggregate blending, and the delivery of the mixed concrete as necessary to ensure required productions and avoid operational logistical issues.
Even with their own batch plant, Granite had to deal with a variety of variables – temperature, variability in the fly ash being delivered, etc. Under the direction of a Quality Control Manager, they analyzed variables on a nightly basis for potential adjustments to the mix. In the end, the workmanship standards, focus on quality, and the overall delivery expectations yielded positive results for both the Owner and Granite. Setting up their own batch plant was emblematic of the course of the project overall – initial challenges were turned in a very positive direction through intentional operational adjustments, quality team focus, mitigation of any equipment deficiencies, and taking control of their own PCC production and delivery.
At the onset of the project, demolition of the old pavement and extensive dirt work was speedily performed.
On the project, specification limitations don’t allow for the use of recycled concrete, as the mix design has to meet stringent testing criteria including alkali-aggregate reactivity limitations. However, the old concrete on-site was crushed and used as FAA P-219 and FAA P-154 Crushed Aggregate Base substitute for the FAA P-209 Subbase Course section of the structural pavements.
The project is funded by LAWA’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and the FAA. It is encapsulated as a part of the $15-billion Capital Improvement Program that is modernizing terminals, creating a safer airfield, improving access, and providing long-awaited connections to regional transportation.
More than $7 billion of improvements have been made to the terminals with billions more going into the Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), which includes the Automated People Mover (APM) train system, the Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility, Intermodal Transportation Facilities, and the Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC), which will be the procurement vehicle for a multitude of civil roadway, airfield improvements, and vertical projects which are designed to elevate the operational capacity and efficiency of one of the world’s busiest airports.
Big thanks and a tip of the hard hat go out to Granite’s Los Angeles Area Manager Mike Heddinger, LAX Construction Manager Jon Gonzalez, and MarCom Manager Mark Phillips for all of their generous contributions and help in putting this story together.