Air Terminal Sector Giants: Morphing TSA procedures shape terminal design [2014 Giants 300 Report]

The recent evolution of airport terminals has been prompted largely by different patterns of passenger behavior in a post-9/11 world. Passengers have learned get to the airport earlier. They spend less time browsing pre-security retail, opting to queue up in often-lengthy security lines well before boarding. The result? Overcrowding in post-security areas, where retail and dining options have historically been lacking.

Curtis Fentress, Principal-in-Charge of design at Fentress Architects, says greater passenger volume has strained gate and restroom capabilities. In addition, the recent popularity of low-cost airlines has increased demand for post-security dining options.

“Many carriers don’t provide any food on the airplane,” Fentress says. “So the people who are getting to the airport earlier to make sure they get through security are waiting, and they want something to eat. If there’s any kind of flight delay, they know they might be stuck in the airport or stuck up in the air for a while without any food.”

Airports are scrambling to respond with renovations and new terminals, even as they deal with TSA rules that can change in an instant. From CTX scanners—van-sized x-ray machines used to examine checked bags—to passenger scanners, the range of large equipment that terminals must accommodate just keeps morphing. Building Teams and their clients are adopting structural tactics that support change.

“We’re using more steel, which allows us to make longer distances between columns,” Fentress says. “The more long-span construction you can do, the more flexibility you have in the future.”

Top Air Terminal Sector Architecture Firms

Rank	Company	2013 Air Terminal Revenue Revenue
1	HOK	$47,074,837
2	Gensler	35,675,000
3	Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates	30,792,300
4	Corgan	26,376,420
5	Fentress Architects	26,333,785
6	Stantec	22,650,631
7	RS&H	22,050,000
8	Skidmore, Owings & Merrill	20,454,225
9	PGAL	17,120,000
10	Heery International	13,057,793
11	HNTB Corp.	10,900,639
12	Leo A Daly	9,490,737
13	Gresham, Smith and Partners	6,733,000
14	SchenkelShultz Architecture	6,179,000
15	HKS	4,087,622
16	LS3P	3,282,241
17	Morris Architects	2,795,000
18	Clark Nexsen	2,214,183
19	Solomon Cordwell Buenz	1,700,000
20	CTA Architects Engineers	1,187,913
21	ZGF Architects	929,658
22	BRPH	925,000
23	Epstein	762,000
24	RTKL Associates	677,000
25	Integrus Architecture	641,695
26	Ware Malcomb	196,500
27	Rosser International	158,668
28	JRS Architect	135,000
29	Environetics	112,443
30	Parkhill, Smith & Cooper	92,000
31	Cuningham Group Architecture	44,964
32	Beyer Blinder Belle	9,544
33	Perkins+will	6,836
34	Ratio Architects	5,368

Top Air Terminal Sector Engineering Firms

Rank	Company	2013 Air Terminal Revenue Revenue
1	Jacobs	$118,990,000
2	URS Corp.	83,069,612
3	Burns & McDonnell	48,010,000
4	Parsons Brinckerhoff	27,025,899
5	Arup	21,447,760
6	Leidos	16,810,000
7	Ross & Baruzzini	12,814,720
8	AECOM Technology Corp.	9,630,000
9	STV	5,260,000
10	WSP Group	3,640,000
11	KPFF Consulting Engineers	3,125,000
12	Syska Hennessy Group	2,933,760
13	TLC Engineering for Architecture	1,984,605
14	TTG	1,653,250
15	Thornton Tomasetti	1,620,411
16	Walter P Moore and Associates	1,596,212
17	Sparling	1,583,537
18	Stanley Consultants	1,526,482
19	Aon Fire Protection Engineering Corp.	1,500,000
20	Graef	1,267,799
21	RMF Engineering	1,200,000
22	Coffman Engineers	1,139,884
23	Magnusson Klemencic Associates	1,068,015
24	RDK Engineers	870,000
25	Vanderweil Engineers	856,900
26	Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates	550,000
27	Simpson Gumpertz & Heger	550,000
28	Martin/Martin	494,691
29	M-E Engineers	400,000
30	Newcomb & Boyd	351,932
31	Zak Companies	351,488
32	I. C. Thomasson Associates	300,000
33	Davis, Bowen & Friedel	257,524
34	Guernsey	252,705
35	Environmental Systems Design	198,068
36	CTLGroup	180,000
37	Joseph R. Loring & Associates	175,000
38	Heapy Engineering	172,189
39	Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon	150,000
40	GRW	138,862
41	Wallace Engineering	131,000
42	Dunham Associates	90,000
43	CJL Engineering	81,400
44	KJWW Engineering Consultants	81,358
45	P2S Engineering	50,418
46	Smith Seckman Reid	44,419
47	Bridgers & Paxton Consulting Engineers	38,111
48	Spectrum Engineers	16,993
49	Brinjac Engineering	12,515
50	French & Parrello Associates	9,215
51	AKF Group	6,000

Top Air Terminal Sector Construction Firms

Rank	Company	2013 Air Terminal Revenue Revenue
1	Turner Construction	$487,680,000
2	Hensel Phelps	418,780,000
3	PCL Construction	328,069,635
4	Walsh Group, The	315,399,703
5	Austin Commercial	267,162,953
6	Suffolk Construction	170,270,605
7	Balfour Beatty US	154,058,403
8	Clark Group	131,741,104
9	McCarthy Holdings	127,000,000
10	Manhattan Construction	119,660,000
11	Hunt Construction Group	109,000,000
12	URS Corp.	83,069,612
13	Hill International	55,000,000
14	Flintco	54,400,000
15	Walbridge	46,000,000
16	Skanska USA	45,635,393
17	Lend Lease	35,107,000
18	Weitz Company, The	33,745,047
19	HITT Contracting	27,200,000
20	Parsons Brinckerhoff	27,025,899
21	Brasfield & Gorrie	25,926,312
22	Gilbane	22,031,250
23	Tutor Perini Corp.	19,320,308
24	New South Construction	18,923,000
25	BlueScope Construction	18,631,283
26	O'Neil Industries/W.E. O'Neil	18,433,037
27	Holder Construction	13,132,000
28	Heery International	13,057,793
29	Yates Companies, The	12,900,000
30	Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., The	11,991,159
31	Beck Group, The	11,096,174
32	EMJ Corp.	10,000,000
33	James McHugh Construction	9,527,392
34	Robins & Morton	6,370,178
35	Messer Construction	5,994,758
36	W. M. Jordan Company	5,812,917
37	STV	5,260,000
38	Hill & Wilkinson	4,766,000
39	Consigli Construction	3,278,099
40	Kraus-Anderson Construction	3,000,000
41	Sundt Construction	1,564,147
42	JE Dunn Construction	1,239,884
43	Hoffman Construction	1,000,000
44	Hoar Construction	4,000