Photo courtesy of Granite

The dike protecting Oakland International Airport will be bolstered to protect it from seismic events.

Granite of Watsonville, Calif., announced that it signed a $34 million contract to implement seismic improvements to the Oakland International Airport Perimeter Dike.

The project will protect the airport runway from potential water intrusion by the adjacent San Francisco Bay. The dike is approximately 4.5 mi. long and traverses the airport's shoreline between the cities of San Leandro and Alameda, according to DredgingToday.com.

The project will use 62,295 cu. yds. of a cement deep soil mixing construction solution (CDSM) to improve the dike's seismic resilience over 4,200 linear ft.

Granite said that the technique will bolster the levee wall soils and reduce the risk of dike failure in case of a strong seismic event.

"The technical challenges and restricted access of this project will require meticulous logistical planning to ensure an efficient and safe workflow and zero impact on airport operations," said Brent Fogg, Granite's vice president of regional operations.

Keller North America, a geotechnical specialty contractor, has performed the CDSM scope.

Aside from the dike work, other tasks include clearing and grubbing, constructing temporary work pads, installing wetlands protections, protecting existing fuel lines, and installing 2,100 cu. yds. of rip rap revetment and aggregate base surfacing to restore the existing perimeter road.

The project is expected to begin in the first three months of 2025 and be completed during 2026's third quarter.

An earlier two-year $30 million project to bolster the dike was completed in 2022, according to DredgingToday.com.

During the project, the dike was increased in size by a foot to meet Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) certification standards and to meet projected impacts of mid-century sea level rises, iflyoak.com said.

The dike is largely comprised of sand, gravel and clay. Its original construction dates to the 1950s, according to www.portofoakland.com. Structural improvements to the dike occurred in the 1980s, as the structure requires maintenance and improvements approximately every 30 years.

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