King County International Airport Runway 14L-32R Rehabilitation

On-call planning services

RS&H provides on-call planning and consulting services to assist the airport management at King County International Airport-Boeing Field to evaluate and implement their capital improvement plans. Boeing Field is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the United States and provides general aviation and corporate services for some of the country’s most prestigious corporate aviation tenants, including Signature Flight Support, Clay Lacy Aviation, Kenmore Aero Services, and Boeing Company.

RS&H provides general planning services to develop area master plans, perform environmental analysis, prepare site analyses, evaluate specific development alternatives, provide grant management services, develop the Airport Capital Improvement Program, and provide general program management services. RS&H uses an airport management approach, which considers operational efficiency, impact minimization, implementation phasing, revenue maximization, and cost minimization to develop alternatives that achieve the best balance among competing airport goals. RS&H staff coordinate with FAA and other agency staff to ensure development plans are efficiently prepared for implementation.

Runway 14L/32R rehabilitation project

Background
The pavement on Runway 14L/32R is at the end of its useful life. Boeing Field is one of the busiest cargo and general aviation airports in the nation with more than 180,000 takeoffs and landings each year. New runway pavement is needed to support this high traffic which can range from small recreational airplanes to helicopters, corporate jets, commercial passenger planes, military aircraft, and Boeing flights.

Currently in the design phases, the plans to rehabilitate this second runway are on time for construction start in 2024.

Meeting client goals
RS&H was selected to design plans & facilitate the rehabilitation of Runway 14L-32R, commonly known as the utility runway. This ambitious project, set to be completed by 2025, is made possible by the generous support of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant.

Runway 14L-32R, with its dimensions of 3,710′ x 100′, has been serving the airport for many years, but needs a pavement & lighting overhaul to accommodate modern aviation demands. The last construction activity took place back in 2002 when an 8-inch layer of asphalt concrete (AC) was applied over the existing pavement structure. However, time has taken its toll, and the condition of the runway, as assessed in 2018, revealed a weighted pavement condition index (PCI) of 61, with actual PCI values ranging from 49 to 66.

Unfortunately, this falls below the critical PCI value of 65 required for an AC runway with a load classification of less than 60,000 pounds. This qualifies as an urgent need for rehabilitation to ensure the safety and efficiency of airport operation, and smaller aircraft under 12,000 pounds.

The scope of the project goes beyond just the runway itself. The entire area, encompassing the runway and its six connectors, spans approximately 68,300 square yards (615,000 square feet). The rehabilitation will involve meticulous reconstruction of portions of the sub-base and subgrade, especially around the A4-B3 connectors, where evidence of fatigue cracking was reported.

One of the most striking changes will be the replacement of traditional runway edge lights and guard lights with state-of-the-art LED technology, enhancing visibility and reducing energy consumption. This move aligns with BFIs commitment to sustainable practices and cutting-edge technology.