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
Airports | Jan 30, 2024
Rafael Viñoly Architects’ design for the new Florence, Italy, airport terminal will feature a rooftop vineyard
At Florence, Italy’s Aeroporto Amerigo Vespucci, the new international airport terminal will feature a fully operating vineyard on the facility’s rooftop. Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, the terminal is expected to see over 5.9 million passengers annually. Renderings for the project have recently been released.
Airports | Jan 15, 2024
How to keep airports functional during construction
Gensler's aviation experts share new ideas about how to make the airport construction process better moving forward.
Airports | Dec 4, 2023
4 key innovations and construction trends across airport design
Here are some of the key trends Skanska is seeing in the aviation sector, from congestion solutions to sustainability.
Giants 400 | Nov 13, 2023
Top 60 Airport Facility Construction Firms for 2023
Hensel Phelps, Turner Construction, AECOM, and Walsh Group top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest airport terminal and airport facilities general contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 13, 2023
Top 65 Airport Facility Engineering Firms for 2023
AECOM, Jacobs, Arup, Burns & McDonnell, and WSP head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest airport terminal and airport facilities engineering and engineering architecture (EA) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 13, 2023
Top 65 Airport Facility Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, Corgan, PGAL, and HOK top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest airport terminal and airport facilities architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Building Materials | Oct 2, 2023
Purdue engineers develop intelligent architected materials
Purdue University civil engineers have developed innovative materials that can dissipate energy caused by various physical stresses without sustaining permanent damage.
Products and Materials | Sep 29, 2023
Top building products for September 2023
BD+C Editors break down 15 of the top building products this month, from smart light switches to glass wall systems.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 115 Architecture Engineering Firms for 2023
Stantec, HDR, Page, HOK, and Arcadis North America top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture engineering (AE) firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
2023 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
A record 552 AEC firms submitted data for BD+C's 2023 Giants 400 Report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.