Van Nuys Airport Runway Improvement
June 2013
Discover how Tensar Geogrid was used to dramatically reduce costs and construction time on the Van Nuys Airport Runway Improvement project in California.
- Owner/Developer: Los Angeles World Airports
- Design Engineer: HNTB Corporation
- Contractor: Security Paving
- Distributor: Tensar International Corporation
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA is currently seeking to improve the Van Nuys Airport’s main runway 16R, a run-up apron, and a general-purpose perimeter road. LAWA was primarily concerned with modernizing 16R to comply with current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) design standards and to achieve a 20-year predicted lifespan. In addition, LAWA needed a solution that would limit the number of days the aircraft would be unable to serve.
HNTB devised a phased approach that required much less excavation and aggregate and limited the full or partial closure of the runway to 10 days and 26 nights.
Tensar’s Spectra Roadway Improvement System, a mechanically stabilized layer incorporating TriAx® TX160 Geogrid, played an essential role in ensuring the success of this ambitious strategy by allowing faster construction with lower material requirements.