DDC Journal: W.E. O’Neil Marks Centennial with Completion of LAX MSC South

MSC South presented extreme logistical challenges due to its location on an active “airport island,” where continuous runway operations meant every movement risked disruption. Our team took the challenge and implemented the Offsite Construction and Relocation (OCR) method, first of-its-kind at LAX airfield.

The OCR technique involved fully constructing the concourse in an offsite yard, then relocating the completed structure to its permanent site, avoiding major on-airfield assembly and crane use. It was selected over prefabrication as the only approach that fully met LAWA’s goals for safety, quality, and minimizing airfield disruption.

“The OCR technique builds the building off-site on temporary foundations and then moves the structure to its permanent location, setting them down on new foundations. Simply put, it’s ‘build the house and move the house,’” says VP of Preconstruction Brian Rush. “The benefits are time savings; improved-quality building in a controlled environment; and improved safety due to bringing less material, equipment and labor onto the active airfield.”

The project also required extensive planning and permitting, including coordination to cross the federally protected Argo Ditch (see Gallery), with approvals from multiple agencies and construction of a temporary land bridge in under 45 days. Nine segments were built nearly two miles away while foundation and utility work progressed on-site.

The success of the OCR method highlights the importance of early planning, stakeholder coordination, and innovative construction strategies in delivering complex infrastructure within one of the world’s busiest airports. “When you are about to embark on something that your firm has never done, especially something that no contractor has ever done at LAX, the planning and preparation is paramount to success of the outcome,” describes President Mike Byrne. ”  This is true for any project, but even more so at a critical, high-volume international airport because of the quantity of stakeholders and the risks of working on an active airfield.”

In October 2024, together with Los Angeles World Airports team, a highly coordinated, first-of-its-kind airfield relocation of MSC South was completed. Using Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs), the nine large structural segments were carefully moved across active runways over the course of a month-long operation.

The effort required more than a year of planning and coordination with over 100 stakeholders and regulatory agencies, with every movement sequence reviewed in detail to ensure safety and operational continuity at one of the world’s busiest airports. Despite challenging conditions such as low visibility and nighttime airfield operations, the precision planning resulted in zero major adjustments during the move.

“The precision preplanning resulted in zero adjustments to the foundation system outside the use of a ‘come-along’. We had approved engineering for field adjustments in the event an anchor bolt was off, but we hit every mark,” Project Executive Jim Nelson.

“The first night was electrifying,” John shares. For those on the ground, the experience was unlike any other. Our CEO was part of the “Foreign Object Debris (FOD) Squad” on the first night, walking the runway behind the moving segments to ensure nothing was left on the airfield. “The team with LAWA spent over a year meticulously planning and they took firm control of operations during every night of the move, guiding over 100 stakeholders through each step to ensure flawless execution,” John added.

The success of the Offsite Construction and Relocation (OCR) method, executed entirely off-site before transport, demonstrated a breakthrough in airport construction logistics, minimizing disruption while enabling safe, efficient delivery within an active airfield environment.

Brian shares, “The actual move was the culmination of years of planning and coordination. Actually moving the building was really like a celebration of the years of planning that led up to that moment.”