Seattle Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) is the nation’s 8th busiest. Last year, the international travelers it handled increased by 15% to account for 5.7 million of the airport’s 51 million passengers.
To provide those travelers with a welcoming environment, the Port of Seattle has been working with a Building Team that includes Clark Construction Group on the design and construction of a new $1 billion International Arrivals Facility (IAF), whose prominent features will include a 780-ft-long elevated pedestrian walkway that spans an active airport taxi lane to connect Sea-Tac’s new International Arrivals Hall with the airport’s South Satellite.
The walkway would be only the third such structure of its kind at any airport, and the world’s longest. (To put its size into perspective, it will be 150 ft longer than Seattle’s Space Needle.)
Its 85 ft of clearance and 610 ft of clear span between footings would be room enough for a 747 jet to get under.
Last month, Clark moved the walkway’s 320-ft-long, 3-million-lb center section into position, using self-propelled modular transport devices. That span was hoisted using four strand jacks, anchored to the walkway’s existing end spans. The end spans were engineered with eight inches of adjustment to fit together precisely to support the weight of the center section.
The bridge's center section was moved into position in the middle of the night using self-propelling modular transport devices.
With engineering tolerances between the side and center spans as small as one inch, it was imperative to understand how the three major sections of the walkway would come together before they were connected on site. Thanks to precise planning and laser scanning, the Building Team achieved a fit-up within 3/8 of an inch, enabling the walkway lift to occur without interruption.
Clark Construction Group is the design builder on this project, whose team members include KPFF (SE, Engineer of Record), Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (IAF designer), Schlaich Bergermann Partner (bridge designer), The Erection Company (walkway erector), Supreme Steel (steel fabricator), Mammoet (heavy transport), and KCE Structural Engineers (peer review).
The aerial walkway—which is scheduled for completion later this year—was designed as a cable-stayed bridge and the Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) method was applied for the build. The walkway is comprised of 17 components that were prefabricated offsite. (The structural steel alone weighs 3,000 tons.)
Related Stories
| Apr 29, 2014
USGBC launches real-time green building data dashboard
The online data visualization resource highlights green building data for each state and Washington, D.C.
| Apr 22, 2014
Bright and bustling: Grimshaw reveals plans for the Istanbul Grand Airport [slideshow]
In partnership with the Nordic Office of Architecture and Haptic Architects, Grimshaw Architects has revealed its plans for the terminal of what will be one of the world's busiest airports. The terminal is expected to serve 150 million passengers per year.
| Apr 9, 2014
Steel decks: 11 tips for their proper use | BD+C
Building Teams have been using steel decks with proven success for 75 years. Building Design+Construction consulted with technical experts from the Steel Deck Institute and the deck manufacturing industry for their advice on how best to use steel decking.
| Apr 4, 2014
$25 million Orion Jet Center designed by SchenkelShultz now open
As the centerpiece of the 45-acre campus, which is its first phase of a planned 215-acre mixed-use development, the 18,000 square foot executive terminal facility offers spacious passenger areas, administrative space, an executive suite, rental car kiosk, catering and a cafe.
| Apr 2, 2014
8 tips for avoiding thermal bridges in window applications
Aligning thermal breaks and applying air barriers are among the top design and installation tricks recommended by building enclosure experts.
| Mar 26, 2014
Callison launches sustainable design tool with 84 proven strategies
Hybrid ventilation, nighttime cooling, and fuel cell technology are among the dozens of sustainable design techniques profiled by Callison on its new website, Matrix.Callison.com.
| Mar 20, 2014
Common EIFS failures, and how to prevent them
Poor workmanship, impact damage, building movement, and incompatible or unsound substrate are among the major culprits of EIFS problems.
| Mar 12, 2014
14 new ideas for doors and door hardware
From a high-tech classroom lockdown system to an impact-resistant wide-stile door line, BD+C editors present a collection of door and door hardware innovations.
| Mar 5, 2014
5 tile design trends for 2014
Beveled, geometric, and high-tech patterns are among the hot ceramic tile trends, say tile design experts.
| Mar 1, 2014
Dramatic fractal roof highlights SOM's new Mumbai airport terminal [slideshow]
The terminal merges new technology and traditional regional architecture, notably in the fractal roof canopy that runs throughout the terminal.