NSU Storm Drain at San Diego International Airport, CA
Installed 7,000 LF of storm drain pipeline and a new pump station under challenging high water table conditions at San Diego International Airport.
Owner: San Diego Airport Authority
Project Name: NSU Storm Drain and Pump Lift Station
Location : San Diego International Airport
Designer:
Contractor: Orion Construction Corporation
Delivery Model: Design-Bid-Build
Contract Value: $10,835,575
Schedule: 2015
Scope: Orion completed a project for the San Diego Airport Authority involving precise installation of piping under aircraft taxiways to meet FAA standards. The work included excavations in groundwater, a 24” fusible PVC restrained storm drain force main, and an 18MGD below-grade lift station with submersible centrifugal pumps. The project required 7,000 LF of fusible 30” PVC piping, 566 LF of trenchless tunneling under taxiways, and complex excavations in challenging conditions. An innovative egg-shaped sheet pile shoring system with elliptical concrete grade beams was used to support the 40-foot deep excavation for the CIP storm water lift station while accommodating nearby structures.
Challenges: The project faced challenges with 7000 LF of pipeline trench excavations through clay and sand below the groundwater level along the runway perimeter. Orion implemented 15 well points to manage water levels and maintain a stable foundation for the pipe. To install a 24” pipe under the taxiway without disrupting airport operations, microtunneling was used for a 42” steel casing with a fused PVC carrier. Sump pumps were installed in 31-foot-deep launch and receiving pits to control groundwater, impacted by tides from San Diego Bay. Construction of the outfall structure in a sensitive eelgrass area required close coordination with biologists to align installation phases with the tidal cycle, minimizing marine impacts.
Results: The project exemplifies executing multidisciplinary heavy-civil construction, mitigating airline impacts, completing dewatering and storm drain installation seamlessly at SDIA. This was a technically challenging construction project with numerous exacting requirements for the Airport Authority and environmental requirements for protected species and water quality.
