Project Overview
The Airside Improvements Project at the San Diego International Airport (SAN) has earned an Envision Gold Award. This project is part of the New T1 program which is encompassed by the broader Airport Development Plan (ADP) led by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (Airport Authority).
SAN is located within a dense urban area in the northwest portion of downtown San Diego, and it’s now the busiest single-runway commercial airport in the nation. Terminal 1 (T1) opened in 1967 to serve 2.5 million passengers, but by 2019, the same facility was serving approximately 11 million passengers. The New T1 will replace the original terminal with a more modern and efficient facility that will improve the travel experience through SAN, and the Airside Improvements Project will upgrade the associated airfield infrastructure to support the new terminal. This includes realigning and reconstructing taxiways, aircraft parking aprons, electrical ducts, lighting, signage, stormwater systems, and more. Improving the overall efficiency of the airfield system in this way will strengthen SAN in its role as a major transportation asset and a significant driver for the regional economy.
As a recognized leader in sustainability within the aviation industry, the Airport Authority chose to use the Envision Sustainable Infrastructure Framework to ensure that sustainable and innovative practices would be integrated throughout the design and construction of the Airside Improvements Project. Envision was designed to promote more sustainable, resilient, and equitable infrastructure projects. It is comprised of 64 sustainability and resiliency indicators (called credits) which are organized within five categories: Quality of Life, Leadership, Resource Allocation, Natural World, and Climate and Resilience. Together, the categories and credits address materials, energy, conservation, community development, planning, collaboration, human well-being, mobility, and more.
By incorporating the Envision framework during the earliest stages of planning, the project team was able to optimize efficiency, resourcefulness, and multi-benefit uses — all principles of the Airport Authority’s approach to sustainable operations. Additionally, by completing the third-party verification process and earning an Envision Gold Award for the project, the Airport Authority further demonstrates its commitment to upholding the highest industry standards for sustainability.
This project has been designed over a multi-year phasing program to allow for continued safe access to airlines and services throughout construction, with anticipated completion in 2028.
Verified Sustainability Achievements
Leadership & Collaboration – This entire project is informed and guided by the Airport Authority’s organizational sustainability policy, which is upheld by a comprehensive Sustainability Management Program that addresses goals and initiatives related to clean transportation, climate resilience, zero waste, biodiversity, sustainable energy, water stewardship, and carbon neutrality. Each year, SAN publishes an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report (previously a Sustainability Report) to demonstrate its commitment to continuous improvement and transparency in social, economic, and environmental performance. For this project, the Airport Authority established specific sustainability goals that were mapped to corresponding Envision credits by the project team using a Sustainability and Envision Recommendations table. This table has served as the foundation for tracking and monitoring sustainability progress throughout project delivery.
The project team began virtually every meeting – across disciplines and working groups – with a discussion about sustainability. The project involved extensive collaboration, including outreach and coordination with key groups involved in airport construction, operations, and maintenance. These stakeholders actively participated in design sessions, updates, and review processes, ensuring their perspectives and needs were considered throughout all project phases and its useful life. The project team also held cross-team meetings to discuss sustainability goals and mutual initiatives with stakeholders from across the New T1 program. These interdisciplinary discussions covered the specificities of concurrent projects and their individual rating system goals, such as LEED for the new Terminal, Envision for the T1 Landside project, and Parksmart for the Parking Plaza. By incorporating a broader group in sustainability discussions, the project team significantly enhanced the value and interdisciplinary nature of its sustainability goals.
Stormwater Management – A new and improved stormwater drainage system will provide for better capture, treatment, and reuse of runoff, which will improve water quality in the San Diego Bay Watershed area. The project team analyzed the site’s existing stormwater drainage systems to better understand the volume and flow of water relative to the project site, and incorporated considerations for sea level rise and 100-year storm events. A new stormwater drainage system was designed to include a 0.9-million-gallon underground storage cistern and five infield infiltration basins that will serve to capture, treat, and reuse stormwater. This upgrade is expected to reduce stormwater runoff into the San Diego Bay by at least 80% and significantly reduce potable water consumption. The project’s multi-pronged approach not only addresses immediate stormwater management needs but also aligns with and advances SAN’s long-term goals for sustainable water management.
Address Climate Change Vulnerability – The project team conducted a comprehensive assessment of the project’s vulnerability to climate change using the Authority’s Climate Resilience Plan (CRP). The CRP notes that portions of this project site are vulnerable to temporary flooding and recommends improved drainage strategies to mitigate impacts and avoid disruption of operations. These considerations were incorporated into the design and construction plans for the Airside Improvements Project, and the above-noted stormwater drainage system improvements will help to alleviate concerns about future flooding on this site. The project integrated vulnerability assessment findings into comprehensive resilience objectives, and implemented specific resilience measures such as resilient pavement design, flood-resilient techniques, and off-grid backup power generation.
Reduce Construction Waste – The project team developed a Construction Waste Management Plan (CWMP) for the project that is aligned with the Airport Authority’s Zero Waste Plan (ZWP). The ZWP only allows landfilling as a last resort for waste streams with no other options, and so the CWMP requires the contractor and all subcontractors to reduce, collect, manage, and recycle project construction demolition waste. A waste diversion target has been set for the project to achieve a minimum 50% diversion from landfill through recycling materials, salvaging materials for reuse, and donating materials to approved non-profits. The CWMP also requires the contractor to complete a “construction and demolition waste management tracker” to provide a monthly summary of project waste diverted from the landfill.
Ecological Preservation – The project team worked with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the San Diego Natural History Museum to identify any potential areas of high ecological value in and around the project boundary and determined 14 acres of habitat on-site is seasonally occupied by the California Least Tern (CLT). Several measures were taken to avoid disturbance of these seasonal nesting areas, including reconfiguring taxiway designs, relocating storm drainage systems, defining construction buffers to protect the habitat, and phasing construction to limit impacts during the peak nesting season. Thus, the CLT nesting habitat is protected by two buffer zones: an 800-ft zone where construction is prohibited from April 1st to September 15th, and a 1,200-ft zone where construction is allowed during nesting season but subject to biologist monitoring, potential work stoppage, and restrictions on major equipment use.
Quotes
“Receiving the Envision Gold Award for our Airside Improvements Project is truly an honor. Being good environmental stewards is a priority for us at SAN and we view it as a hallmark of our operations. We are committed to upholding the highest industry standards for sustainability and by following the Envision Sustainable Framework, we were able to ensure that sustainable and innovative practices were integrated throughout our design and construction. We thank the Envision program and ISI for their collaboration and partnership.”– Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, President & CEO
“The San Diego International Airport’s Envision Gold award showcases their exceptional commitment to sustainability and resilience in infrastructure development. Through innovative airfield pavement construction, material sharing, stormwater reuse and cross-team collaboration, the project exemplifies how environmental responsibility can drive innovation. Guided by the Authority’s Sustainability Management Program, this project demonstrates leadership in futureproofing critical infrastructure against climate change impacts while fostering cooperation among diverse stakeholders, including government agencies and project teams.”– Alexandra Davis, C&S Engineers, Inc., Senior Sustainability Consultant
“San Diego County Regional Airport Authority is a demonstrated leader in sustainable aviation, and we’re thrilled to be working with them on this project. It’s a terrific demonstration of a team using the Envision framework to align a necessary infrastructure project with organizational sustainability goals in order to optimize collaboration, efficiency, and overall positive impacts.“– Kristi Wamstad, ISI, Verification Director
PROJECT DETAILS AT-A-GLANCE
Title: San Diego International Airport CIP 411001 – ADP Airside Improvements Project
Location: San Diego, California
Envision Rating: Gold
Envision Award Date: October 14, 2024
Project Owner: San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
Lead Envision Firm: C&S Companies
Project Partners:
- Jacobs Engineering Group (airfield geometry, planning, stormwater hydrology, airfield electrical, pavement marking, structural [cistern, AOA wall, and airfield signage] mechanical, architectural, pavement layout, project phasing)
- C&S Companies (stormwater drainage, grading, fencing, sustainability, wet utilities)
- RDM International (pavement design and details)
- Burns Engineering (ICT design)
- BSE Engineering (12kV power design)
- TransSolutions (airfield modeling)
- Snipes-Dye Associates (surveying)
- Ninyo & Moore (geotechnical testing and analysis)
- West Coast Civil (stormwater reuse design)
- PROTEUS Consulting (stormwater design)
- Underground Solutions Inc. (utility locates)
- Helix Environmental Planning Inc. (environmental planning & design)
- Griffith Company (general contractor)
Total Cost of Project: US$200 million
Project Delivery Method: Design-Bid-Build
Project Status: Under construction