Serving more than 11 million passengers each year, San Diego International Airport (SAN) is the busiest single-runway commercial airport in the U.S. Through the replacement of Terminal 1 (New Terminal 1 or NT1), the airport will offer passengers 30 gates, 19 new restaurants, 250 EV charging stations, and 5,200 additional parking spaces, making traveling more convenient than ever before.

Landside Development

Kleinfelder served as the landside development bridge designer and civil engineering lead, geotechnical engineer, and sustainability lead for this $3.4-billion alternative delivery project.

The land on the airport grounds is limited and must be used carefully to incorporate all needed amenities, including utilities, roadways, bridges, retaining walls, stormwater management features, parking, and buildings. Coordinating these priorities required expert knowledge and an innovative approach. Kleinfelder provided the final design for more than five miles of roadway, bridges, and retaining walls, as well as utility survey services, geotechnical engineering, and foundation recommendations. Kleinfelder also provided geotechnical engineering services during construction by observing all CIDH piles, monitoring pile load tests and settlement monitoring of MSE walls.

Geotechnical Engineering

In its role as geotechnical engineer, Kleinfelder performed 96 borings and cone penetrometer tests with a depth of up to 160 feet. A majority of this work was performed at night to disrupt airport operations as minimally as possible. Final recommendations were provided in separate reports for the terminal and landside scope and addressed potential hazards due to liquefiable soils, seismically induced lateral spreading, and fault rupture. Kleinfelder also provided geotechnical engineering services during construction by observing all auger-cast piles, monitoring pile load tests, and reviewing building pad excavations and grading.

Sustainability

San Diego County Regional Airport Authority supported goals in sustainability by aiming for LEED, Envision, and Park Smart certifications. Kleinfelder worked with the project leads to develop a sustainability plan in the validation phase, and assisted with document creation and collection to submit for certification.

Project Results

The new Terminal 1 at San Diego International Airport will open in phases. The first phase will include 19 gates, an elevated departures roadway, outdoor check-in pavilions, a five-story parking plaza, and dedicated, on-airport arrivals roadway. The second phase will add 11 gates for a total of 30 gates. This sustainable project is sure to provide efficiency and comfort for more than 11 million travelers annually.

Read more about this project and Kleinfelder’s contributions in ENR’s article San Diego International Airport Aims High Structurally, Sustainably and Aesthetically.

Project Details

Location:
San Diego, CA
Owner:
San Diego County Regional Airport Authority