This 50,000 SF expansion added six new gates, designed and constructed with future expansion in mind, to the A Concourse, while modernizing the 12 existing gates on the A & B Concourses. This project included new terrazzo flooring and renovated restrooms throughout both the new and existing areas of Concourse A & B. It also featured improved circulation and increased natural light, enhancing the overall passenger experience, as well as a new power infrastructure to support the expanded facilities.

The project’s primary architect Brad Sucher, Senior Vice President with Gresham Smith, offered additional examples about how these design choices are ultimately in service of the passenger experience. “A couple of things I really like about this facility…you’ve got all this natural light pouring in, and there’s a clear line of sight all the way back into the existing [structure], including baggage claim and the exit lane. And as you get closer to this glass, one thing you may notice is…we actually mitigated the glare through electrochromic glazing. This ensures the passenger doesn’t get all that glare into their eyes, but it still provides that open view out to the airfield. As a plane goes by right now, you almost feel like you can reach out and touch [it].

“What’s also going to be unique for the passengers here is they’re going to have a lot of variety of seating. And with that, you’re going to be able to support the various types of passengers that use this facility.”

This project required a collaborative approach when it came to planning the execution of the work. Maintaining operations is always a top priority when it comes to working in an active airport. To ensure gates became operational as quickly as possible, the team expedited the preconstruction phase, taking care to include a detailed plan that would guarantee all existing jet bridges stayed in service during the peak tourism season.

“The JE Dunn Southside team is incredibly grateful to Horry County and all our project partners for trusting us to help bring this vision to life,” said Nick Christoffersen, JE Dunn’s Vice President – Aviation Group Manager. “This expansion isn’t just about adding gates or square footage — it’s about supporting growth, improving the passenger experience, and investing in the long-term success of this community. “

The post Myrtle Beach Airport Expansion Completed by JE Dunn Construction and Southside Constructors Boosts Capacity and Comfort first appeared on JE Dunn Construction.

JE Dunn spoke with our aviation leaders from across the country to learn more about what made their airport projects successful, how they avoided disruptions to travelers during construction, and what they’re paying attention to for future passenger experience improvements.

Jon Mindrup, Design Management Director, Dallas

What challenges does building in or around an active airport pose for construction teams?

We have to keep in mind that where we work is an airport first, and a construction site second. On a typical project, a construction site is ours to control until we turn it over to the owner. In an airport that’s running 24/7, that’s rarely the case. The challenge for us is to be a good neighbor and partner of the airport while our project is under construction. We have to give a lot of thought to phasing of project activities so we don’t have too many areas blocked off or systems offline at any given time. We have to think not just about how this specific airport operates generally, but also what their peak operation times are and peak demands for things like security checkpoints, bathrooms, and parking. People tend to be stressed at airports, worrying about making their flights, so we also have to think about how we can do our work in a way that minimizes that stress by not creating more mess, noise, and interruptions.

What factors make successfully planning for and scheduling aviation construction possible?

It’s really three things: understanding the operational data, identifying who all your stakeholders are, and customizing your approach to the needs of your client. We have this saying that if you’ve worked at one airport, you’ve worked at one airport. They’re all different, and we want to ensure we are using our expertise to understand the specific needs of each project to come up with solutions that address their unique problems. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Nick Christoffersen, Vice President and Project Executive, Charlotte

What does a successful preconstruction phase look like when balancing passenger experience?

We hold what we call a VPC (value proposition canvas) meeting with the client and the design team to really get an understanding of what is valuable to them and what their must-haves are. For instance, our client in Norfolk, Virginia, wants to ensure the passenger experience there doesn’t get sidelined by active construction above any other priorities. So, if we have to build more temporary walls and paint them to match the existing space, we’re willing to do that. Being transparent with a client goes a long way to building a plan that fits their needs, whether it costs more or takes longer. Once we know what matters to the client, we can plan better to hit their off-peak seasons and meet their needs.

Tell me about an airport project where downtime was necessary. How did you plan for it?

When we built a new concourse for a client in Charlotte, North Carolina, at some point all the security systems, the card readers, and cameras, had to tie back to the main airport. So, to do that we needed to temporarily turn those devices off in order to tie the new devices into the existing system. Our teams had to trace these systems down to determine which devices and locations would be affected by the shutdown. When it came time to turn off and connect those systems, we had to deploy people to physically stand at those doors and guard them to maintain security. That’s somewhat of an extreme case, but we have to be very thoughtful about when shutdowns are necessary and how we will handle them so they aren’t planned during peak operations.

Cory Hammond, Project Manager 2, Denver

How do you prepare for airport blackout dates in the construction timeline?

As a builder, we have to ensure there is a strict understanding of our construction activities and communicating early with our client about them as we approach blackout dates. We’re obviously talking through schedule, but we’re also communicating about what impacts those scheduled items could have on all the other operations at the airport that play a role in a positive passenger experience.

For instance, in Houston we just completed a large duct bank for our electrical primary across the main feeder road to the airport. We had to go in and shut down half the lane, dig down, install our duct bank, and then flip to the other side of the road the next week. We coordinated that almost four months ahead of time, saying we needed to begin work October 1 to finish by November 1, which gave us a two-week buffer from our blackout date as Thanksgiving travel began.

What’s one thing you wish stakeholders or trade partners knew more about when it comes to aviation construction?

One thing that we push very heavily on every job, but especially with our teams and trade partners on airport construction projects, is controlling our materials and site cleanliness. Sometimes it’s making swaps during buyout for rope or chain because red caution tape could too easily blow away. FOD, or foreign object debris, is basically anything that can get onto air side and potentially impact operations or most importantly, human safety. While every airport is unique, all of our aviation clients need us to think very critically about how to minimize FOD to maintain everyone’s safety and smooth operations.

Sam StoneHyde, Project Manager 1, Minneapolis

Aviation clients sometimes want construction to be invisible. How do you plan for and execute construction that’s not seen or heard?

We know that construction is temporary, but passengers don’t necessarily experience it that way. In Minneapolis, our client called it “live construction,” which means that removing ceilings, installing new fixtures, painting and new millwork and such is all done in a live setting with passengers experiencing it around you.

The challenge is, we cannot shut down a gate hold for any amount of time. We also cannot impact concessions or fire emergency egresses as we installed new terrazzo flooring and completed other interior finishes. To do this, we had to do most of our work at night. We also had to phase our work and chop it up into small enough pieces that people could still, for example, enter and exit a restaurant with the fire marshal’s approval during the day while that portion of new terrazzo flooring cured for 48 hours.

It’s meticulous work, but it’s such an achievement. In two and a half years and across six concourses, we did not impact a gate. We never had a flight delayed because of our presence as the general contractor.

What’s your biggest lesson learned that you would encourage others to consider or incorporate into future aviation work?

Definitely have a swing shift crew to make communication more effective and efficient. You can have a dedicated night shift supervisor and daytime project managers, but you need a group of people on the ground for half the day that’s absorbing information from dayside and then transfers it to the night crew as soon as they get there.

Stacey Flint, Vice President and Project Executive, Portland

What do contractors need to successfully navigate and manage all the stakeholders involved in airport construction?

Having a contractor involved from the beginning is necessary to really plan appropriately for this kind of work. Utilizing the progressive design-build delivery method was absolutely necessary for our work in Portland, Oregon, because constructability and viability was front and center from the beginning. It’s incredibly important that we keep decisions moving on these projects, and with progressive design-build, we were able to incorporate client feedback into the design and any changes while we were in active construction. By getting stakeholder input and incorporating it into the design in a timely manner, we actually finished the project several months early.

What do you wish more clients or stakeholders knew about planning and scheduling for passenger experience?

At the most basic level, the first thing we think about as a contractor when it comes to passenger experience is: Don’t get in the way. What I would challenge our colleagues in construction and design industry to think about is: What more can we do to curate the passenger experience?

When working on Portland’s airport, we were able to help put together signage that was multi-lingual and had photos of our trade partners. We used the photos and project renderings on temporary partitions to make it part of the passenger experience and show our progress. It ensured that, if we did have to reroute passengers and make them walk a little farther, we told them why. To me, that’s one way we can work with clients to curate the passenger experience in tandem with the construction we’re doing rather than just staying out of the way.

Mike Hunter, Vice President and Project Executive, Phoenix

How can contractors partner with our clients to maintain a consistent, positive passenger experience?

Being involved early in the design process and working together is really key. A project doesn’t necessarily need to be design-build; it can be a construction manager at risk project. By working closely with the design team and the owner, general contractors can provide value early in the design process on how a project is phased and constructed to minimize the impact to the frontline customer experience and convenience.

What’s the hot topic or next big thing to consider when it comes to improving passenger experience?

Small electric aircraft or eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft are getting a lot of buzz in the marketplace. Airports want to provide a more convenient passenger experience to pick up passengers at smaller airports and transport them to larger regional hubs. The aviation industry as a whole is trying to absorb what that looks like and how it could be serviced. For passengers in areas like California, air travel to get from Napa to San Francisco would be much more convenient than driving, taking a cab, or riding public transportation in high traffic areas. It will take some time for people to feel safe getting into a battery-powered aircraft, but all the airports seem to be dipping their toes in it.

The post Passenger Experience Q&A: What Works and What’s Next for Airport Construction first appeared on JE Dunn Construction.

A custom terrazzo floor showcases a bronze outline of a life-size plane, while displays celebrate North Carolina’s aviation legacy, highlighted by an immersive “First in Flight” light and sound wall. A life-sized DC-9-82 T-Tail aircraft is embedded in the floor near Gate A31, adding to the visual experience.

The exterior sunshade lighting system boasts 100 lights, ranging from 4 to 30 feet in height, capable of creating 17 million color combinations. This impressive project also achieved two Green Globe Certifications under the Green Building Initiative (GBI), underscoring its commitment to sustainability.

The post CLT – Charlotte Douglas International Airport first appeared on JE Dunn Construction.

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“Airports have a footprint in every community. Contributing to local economies is a goal for every JE Dunn airport project.”

Alex Vidarti

Aviation Preconstruction Director

Aviation Spotlight

In this Spotlight, Alex Vidarti, JE Dunn’s aviation preconstruction leader, discusses aviation trends and the trajectory of U.S. airport infrastructure needs. JE Dunn’s aviation market has contracted over $2 billion in projects and completed work on more than 18 airports from coast to coast. JE Dunn’s aviation expertise and diverse portfolio allow owners to focus on improvements that speak directly to elevating the passenger experience.

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The post Airport Infrastructure, Labor Shortages and Material Pricing first appeared on JE Dunn Construction.

Market Drivers

It’s a unique situation we are seeing in this part of the United States, and the nuances that created this amount of aviation construction include population growth, connectivity, and airport relationships with its city and local economy.

Population Growth

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is a prime example of airport capacity in relation to population growth. In May of 2023, Austin reached the top 10 most populous cities by the U.S. Census Bureau, which included Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. In 2022, AUS’ enplanements, or passengers that boarded at the airport, was 10.5 million. This is an increase of 55% compared to 2021.

Just recently at the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA)-SW Regional Conference AUS leaders stated that the airport’s 2040 master plan will realistically hit in 2030. Right now, the airport is operating outside of its capacity.

Connectivity

Where AUS is growing its capacity and role in aviation on a local and national level, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has been operating on a national and international level for decades. For the second year in a row, DFW was ranked the second busiest airport in the world, with 73+ million passengers in 2022.

Its need for construction isn’t tied to the growth of its surrounding cities – at least not how it was in its early years. Rather, the demand comes from being a major hub for airlines and connectivity to other airports. About 60% of its traffic connects to another flight. Modernization, efficiency, and traveler experience are all goals for its expansion and continued reputation in the aviation market.

Capacity

The explosion of aviation work in Texas and parts of Oklahoma does include a middle ground, where airports are naturally growing with their general areas and in response to future capacity needs. This includes San Antonio International Airport and Tulsa International Airport. These individual programs are in the billions of dollars and include large, complex work that will be managed and constructed over several years.

In comparison to AUS enplanements, Tulsa and San Antonio, have a more moderate trend – although still indicating increase in travel and passenger numbers for the future.

Cargo Services

Beyond travel, airports are building capacity for additional cargo services. This focus happened during the pandemic when demand for fast delivery of essential and non-essential goods exploded.

That level of demand has come down with recent global impacts, fuel prices, supply chain bottlenecks, and the ease of port congestion. But there still exists a need for goods to be delivered securely, fast, and in large quantities.

Boeing released its report on air cargo through 2040 and projects that North America will average a 4.3% increase over the next decade. This will be led by e-commerce and a rise in domestic manufacturing.

This is the type of work AUS is invested in, where air cargo totaled more than 310+ million pounds in 2022, up almost 30 percent from 2021. In the last year, JE Dunn completed excavation and foundational work for AUS’ new 99,000 square foot cargo warehouse. This was a fast-track design and construction effort to get the facility up and running as soon as possible.

This aviation boom will lead to incredible opportunities for firms in the AEC industry but will bring impacts to the following:

• Trade partner and overall skilled worker capacity
• Opportunities for Minority, Women, Small, and Disadvantaged firms that meet their current capabilities while helping them build work capacity and experience
• Competition for workforce, labor, and retention with other large projects and multi-year projects in the the data center, manufacturing, government and municipal markets

This is top of mind for JE Dunn as we look to purse work in the aviation sector. Aviation will continues to be a leading market for our South Central region and it’s our responsibility to deliver projects that are successful, provide an excellent experience, and support the growth of our industry for the future.

The post The Aviation Boom first appeared on JE Dunn Construction.