The Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) facility is one of the main Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) projects at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which will help reduce traffic congestion in and around the Central Terminal Area and make traveling to and from the airport much more efficient.

Scheduled for completion in 2023, the 6.4 million sq.ft. ConRAC facility will be the largest of its kind in the world once open, bringing rental car agencies spread across the airport area into one, convenient location. The project features two multi-story structures: a five-level Ready Return/Idle Storage structure with approx. 18,000 parking spaces for rental car and employee parking, and a five-level Quick Turn Around building, which will provide light maintenance such as fueling, washing and oil changes for the rental car fleets. The project features ramps on each level between the two structures. The facility also features multiple below-grade emergency exit safety corridors. With an expected 265,000 cu. yds. of concrete for the final project, a batch plant was built on site to handle all the concrete, which allows for fewer trucks on the roadways.

Challenges

The ConRAC facility presents some unique challenges for construction project planning and scheduling.

  • Coordinating with the Automated People Mover (APM) team and design modifications to the building. As the first facility in Los Angeles where a train enters the building, there was no allowance for this type of structure. Design modification requests were submitted to various city agencies to allow for the design and construction of the ConRAC facility.
  • Building fueling stations on the first four floors of the Quick Turn Around building. This had never been done before in the U.S. and it also required code modifications to allow for such design and construction.
  • Various roadworks to handle the additional traffic for car renting travelers. Projections indicate there will be additional traffic coming out of the ConRAC facility at about one car per second during peak operations. Therefore, roads around the facility will be widened, including the extremely busy, nearby on- and off-ramps for the southbound side of the I-405 freeway. In addition, a new road will be constructed along the west side of the structure.

Services

CMS provided project controls management and scheduling services for the ConRAC facility project. The CMS scheduler began with developing the baseline schedule for the project. He reviews the contractor’s schedules on a monthly basis and provides reports to senior management on the status of the project. Time impact analyses are performed as needed to assess project delays and any changes. In addition, the scheduler provides risk management and recommendations for mitigation, using his experience working for contractors and other airport projects to best represent the owner’s interests.

The details:

Owner: Los Angeles World Airports
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Delivery Method: Public-Private Partnership (P3) / Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain (DBFOM)
Developer/Contractor: LAX ConRAC Partners (LAXCP)
Project Dates: 2016 – Present (expected completion in 2023)
Project Value: $1.6 Billion