Four Must-Have Competencies for Building the Future of Aviation

The demand for updated airport infrastructure shows no signs of slowing down. With many major airports primed to make significant investments to upgrade existing structures in the next 10 years, builders require the experience and tactics to deliver modern, functional and efficient aviation infrastructure. Sundt knows what it takes to build and partner with transportation and airport authorities to complete a successful project in today’s dynamic aviation industry.

Collaborative Delivery and Engineering Flexibility

Over the past decade of aviation construction, collaborative delivery methods have been gaining ground on the traditional design-bid-build model. Progressive design-build and construction manager at-risk (CMAR) projects continue to stand out as the most flexible option for the aviation market. Other delivery methods can silo off the design or set it in stone too early, leaving little room for change without incurring major costs. In the progressive design-build and CMAR models, the contractor has time to sit down and collaborate with the design team and other stakeholders before setting a guaranteed maximum price (GMP).

An example of a successful progressive design-build project was Sundt’s completion of the San Diego International Airport Support Facilities. The project included a 3.2-million-gallon underground stormwater containment cistern to capture and reuse runoff. The concrete team spent over eight months planning with a variety of stakeholders to meet the concrete material and dewatering requirements for the cistern. The collaborative delivery method allowed for concrete teams to engage with design and facilities teams to deliver a successful, sustainable, and innovative cistern. The finished project can capture runoff from approximately 80 acres on the north side of the airport runway for reuse on the airport property.

Effective Planning, Tracking, and Management of Federal Grant

As airports consider how to fund improvement projects and since federal grant planning begins at project initiation, it’s increasingly important to hire a project team well-versed in identifying and managing grant-eligible scopes of work.

Working closely with airport personnel and in coordination with the local FAA office, a strong project team will help define “eligibility buckets” based on anticipated FAA funding strategies, scope eligibility criteria, and phasing needs. These buckets should be grounded in FAA guidelines and reinforced with an eligibility plan that outlines the specific cost breakdown and funding ratios.

Because FAA grant planning is often dynamic—subject to ongoing reviews, fiscal year allocations, and phasing adjustments—Sundt approaches this as an iterative and collaborative effort. Our process allows for refinement of eligibility breakdowns and cost divisions as design matures, funding windows evolve, or program goals shift.

Once eligibility buckets are established, they must be meticulously tracked through the life of the project. Partnering with a firm that can accurately model costs, separate budget categories, and maintain clear delineation from design through contract helps ensure transparency.

Cross-Market Experience

Airports function like miniature cities. Beyond terminals and runways, they have their own transportation networks, utilities, communications, and in some senses even their own economies. Selecting a builder with experience in both vertical and horizontal construction offers major advantages to the client. Additionally, partnering with a contractor that has résumé in areas like power, water treatment, solar and flood control allows airport project teams to go even further in consolidating decision-making and streamlining critical-path scopes.

For Sundt, our diverse range of work adds value through shared knowledge, lessons learned and self-perform skills. Our team of skilled craft professionals and our expert operations leaders support owners in balancing project goals alongside schedule and budget limitations, without sacrificing safety or quality. This integrated approach allows us to deliver innovative solutions built on proven experience.

Self-Perform Skill and Trade Partner Relationships

Across the nation, construction projects face a shortage of craft workers. The margins for a successful project may come down to simply having the staff available to complete the job. Sundt mitigates this risk with our programs training and development of a large and diverse craft workforce. For decades we have committed to the growth, safety and improvement of craft professionals. Our self-perform capabilities include critical-path work like Portland Cement Concrete paving, concrete, structural steel, excavation and grading, underground utilities and drainage systems. For flat work specifically, we can pave over 40 feet wide for roadways, runways, taxiways and aprons, as well as barrier elements.

Sundt’s Transportation Group and joint-venture partner MRM recently completed a $47 million runway, apron and shoulder repair project at Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso, Texas. The scope called for nearly 15,000 square yards of concrete and asphalt removal and replacement. Our self-perform paving team used an innovative, technically challenging method called double strike-off paving to meet the project’s expedited schedule while complying with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and FAA quality standards for durability and achieving a flat surface. Only a select number of contractors have the skills and project management to perform this specialized paving.

For the projects and trades where we don’t self-perform, Sundt approaches major scopes as if building them ourselves. We work with our trade partners as an extension of our project team, specifically in how to approach BIM modeling, scheduling, and safety. This leads to a shared understanding of project challenges. We don’t let problems sit until our subcontractors encounter them in the field; we build with a culture of solving issues before they become problems.

Mastering these skills will support project success for airports and aviation authorities. We’ve embraced the challenges presented by the ever-changing industry because finding new approaches to meet and anticipate the needs of our clients is what we do best.

Learn more about Sundt’s aviation projects.