Aviation

AVIATION

UNMATCHED EXPERIENCE IN AVIATION 900 + PROJECTS

Helping Projects Take Flight

Industry-leading research and development. Proprietary analysis and production tools. In-depth knowledge of local materials preferences and construction practices. We bring the full force of our distinctive blend of experience, resources and technological innovation – and a deeply collaborative interdisciplinary approach – to every aviation facility we design.

Building for tomorrow: flexible & resilient design

Employing technology to optimize outcomes

Performance-based seismic & fire engineering

Speeding construction & reducing risk with Advanced Project Delivery TM

Embodied-carbon expertise

Long-span expertise

Firm-wide support

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING RESTORATION & RENEWAL ACOUSTICS & VIBRATION

WHY US?

Terminals

Hangars

Facilities

Here’s How

Creative solutions for complex challenges.

RESILIENCE & SUSTAINABILITY

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING

FORENSICS & INVESTIGATIONS

FAÇADE ENGINEERING

Proactive & collaborative

PROTECTIVE DESIGN & SECURITY

High-performance building design

Multidisciplinary emergency response & remediation

TRUSTED PARTNER

When you work with us, we’ve got your back, every time.

GLOBAL AVIATION EXPERIENCE

Projects of every type and size, all over the world.

ICONIC DESIGN

Creative problem-solving yields constructable designs for complex forms.

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

We use cutting-edge tools to invent new ways of solving difficult problems.

ADVANCED PROJECT DELIVERY

Collaborative process streamlines steel procurement and erection for faster construction and reduced risk.

Whether it’s a terminal, hangar, support structure, parking garage or transit connection, aviation facilities require highly specialized experience. With experience on more than 900 projects, we know the ins and outs of aviation design and construction.

We relish the challenge of fine-tuning a structure –from scratch or by updating or expanding an older one – to adapt to changing needs, optimize operational efficiency and the traveler experience, and accommodate new technologies.

WHY

Terminals

Hangars

Facilities

Here’s How

© Nic Lehoux John F. Kennedy International Airport, JetBlue Terminal Sculptural Installation

© John Wright -

© HKS

Terminals

PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TERMINAL MODERNIZATION PROGRAM

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Gensler-HDR JV in association with Luis Vidal + Architects, PJ Dick | Hunt

The 635,000-square-foot terminal is topped by an undulating long-span roof. Advanced modeling enabled swift iteration and selection of a more efficient roof geometry and constructable structural geometry. Our performancebased fire analysis allowed exposed steel columns to be filled with concrete instead of coated with intumescent paint, providing fire safety plus improved aesthetics and lower construction cost. The $1.3 billion project also includes a multihazard risk assessment and renovations to existing concourses.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING, SUSTAINABILITY, SECURITY SERVICES, PERFORMANCE-BASED FIRE ENGINEERING, CORE MODELING

BIOPHILIC DESIGN

The roof’s form mimics the shape of surrounding hills. Within, it provides a forest-like canopy with pockets between ribbons diffusing natural light into the space.

Why Us?

TERMINALS

Hangars

Facilities

Here’s How

Courtesy Gensler + HDR in association with luis vidal

Terminals

DETROIT METRO AIRPORT

NORTH TERMINAL Romulus, Michigan

Gensler in association with Ghafari Architects, Walbridge/Barton Malow Company

We provided structural design and blast studies for a 26-gate, 824,000square-foot terminal. Story-deep trusses frame the main entrance to an open three-story, light-filled space. Our design used three types of foundation systems to facilitate construction and accommodate an existing utility tunnel. And the baggage claim area roof was designed to support a roadway above.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING, PROTECTIVE DESIGN

Courtesy Vito Palmisano and Gensler

EFFICIENCY & FLEXIBILITY

Cost control was a high priority for the Wayne County Airport Authority, so our engineering team designed the structure for maximum efficiency, with a focus on future flexibility.

Why Us?

TERMINALS

Hangars

Facilities

Here’s How

Courtesy Vito Palmisano and Gensler

Terminals

Copenhagen Airport, Terminal 3 Expansion

Kastrup, Denmark

Sustainability Consulting, Structural Peer Review

Memphis International Airport

Memphis, Tennessee

Seismic Risk Assessment, Retrofit Concept Design, Resilience Consulting

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Phase Two

Guangzhou, China

Structural Engineering

San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 2 Renovation LEED Gold

San Francisco, California

Sustainability Consulting

Spokane International Airport, Terminal Renovation & Expansion Program

Spokane, Washington

Structural Engineering, Façade Design

. . . AND THAT’S NOT ALL!

We do more than just design new terminals. Renovations. Seismic upgrades. Forensic investigations, repair and remediation. Noise and vibration consulting. Sustainability and performance improvements. Resilience checkups. We can help with all these and more.

Why Us?

TERMINALS

Hangars

Facilities

Here’s How

Courtesy Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects

Terminals

INDIANAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT COL. H. WEIR COOK TERMINAL

Indianapolis, Indiana

HOK, Hunt-Smoot Midfield Builders

The 40-gate terminal features a soaring 320,000-square-foot roof. The roof’s exposed steel structure is supported on column “trees” that bear the load of four columns with the spatial effect of only one. The roof also channels rainwater for building operations and shades the truss-and-glass curtain walls. A 200-foot circular skylight further reduces energy required for lighting.

Midwest Construction Magazine, Outstanding Engineering Function and Aesthetic Award, 2009

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

DESIGN FOR FUTURE NEEDS

The large column-free spaces provide maximum flexibility for changing demands in capacity, technology and security.

Why Us?

TERMINALS

Hangars

Facilities

Here’s How

© John WrightMediaWright

Terminals

MEMPHIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CONCOURSE B MODERNIZATION

Memphis, Tennessee

Alliance in association with UrbanARCH Associates, Flintco Construction

Our structural team literally raised the roof and replaced closely spaced columns with long-span steel trusses to create open corridors. A new steel framing system also brings the building into line with modern seismic code requirements. Our sustainability analysis focused on strategies to optimize energy performance, while our façade treatment included a new curtain wall of high-efficiency glazing that darkens in bright sunlight to block glare.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING, FAÇADE ENGINEERING, SUSTAINABILITY

Courtesy Steve Austell Photography

BETTER STRUCTURE & SUSTAINABILITY

This sweeping renovation enhanced the passenger experience, improved energy efficiency and upgraded the building’s seismic performance.

Why Us?

TERMINALS

Hangars

Facilities

Here’s How

Terminals

LAGUARDIA AIRPORT TERMINAL B Queens, New York

LaGuardia Gateway Partners, HOK/WSP JV, Skanska/Walsh Construction JV

Our structural design – for a new headhouse and central hall, a new utilities plant, and a bridge connecting to parking – incorporates multilayered flood and blast protection, including hostile-vehicle mitigation. We also provided redundancy design and façade support for an 83-foot-tall curving glass wall stretching 1,142 feet along the frontage roadway that is specially designed to resist blast loads.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING, FAÇADE ENGINEERING, PROTECTIVE DESIGN, FORENSICS

SUPERLATIVE RESULTS

The largest P3 project in U.S. aviation history and the first airport terminal to achieve LEED Gold certification under the USGBC’s new, more stringent guidelines.

Why Us?

TERMINALS

Hangars

Facilities

Here’s How

Terminals

Saint Louis Lambert International Airport Tornado Recovery

Saint Louis, Missouri

Multidisciplinary Emergency Response, Damage Assessment, Recovery Planning

Pearson International Airport, Terminal 3 Floor Vibration

Toronto, Ontario

Acoustics, Noise & Vibration Consulting

John F. Kennedy International Airport, Terminal One

Jamaica, New York

Structural Engineering

Charlotte Douglas International Airport East Terminal Expansion

Charlotte, North Carolina

Blast Mitigation Design

Carrasco International Airport Roof

Montevideo, Uruguay

Structural Engineering

RAPID RESPONSE

In an emergency, our experienced forensics teams are ready to respond. We assess damage and design repairs to get operations back up and running as quickly as possible.

Why

TERMINALS

Hangars

Facilities

Here’s How

Terminals

O’HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

AMERICAN AIRLINES L CONCOURSE STINGER Chicago, Illinois

Corgan Architect, F.H. Paschen, LeJeune Steel Company

A five-gate expansion was threaded carefully into O’Hare’s busy fabric. To avoid disruptions and conflicts with utilities, much of the building is suspended from a pair of story-deep long-span trusses, and the 600-foot access walkway is built with just three spans. Our APD services helped facilitate construction; we collaborated with the contractor, steel fabricator and erection engineer to design and deliver a fully detailed Tekla model. We also performed energy modeling to evaluate solar effects on the project’s glazing.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING, FAÇADE ENGINEERING, SUSTAINABILITY, ADVANCED PROJECT DELIVERY™

CLIENT SATISFACTION

“An integrated approach to the modeling, connection engineering and erection logistics saved numerous weeks in the project schedule, expediting submittal reviews and allowing for early mill orders.”

— Frank Mullaghy, F.H. Paschen

Why Us?

TERMINALS

Hangars

Facilities

Here’s How

Terminals

UNITED AIRLINES TERMINAL 1 CURBSIDE & SOUTH BUILDING ADDITION

Chicago, Illinois

LendLease, SCB Architects

The project extended the terminal’s façade 20 feet toward the roadway and added glass-enclosed vestibules and curbside check-ins with small canopies. Our team provided blast mitigation services for the façade along its entire eastern exposure. The new South Building added 10,000 square feet for a new security checkpoint and improved circulation between Terminals 1 and 2. It was also designed to accommodate a future lounge on the mezzanine level.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING, PROTECTIVE DESIGN,

RENEWAL

THINKING AHEAD

The design included structural provisions for future construction of a mezzanine level for a United Club lounge.

Why Us?

TERMINALS

Hangars

Facilities

Here’s How

Hangars

O’Hare International Airport, American Airlines Maintenance Hangar 2

Chicago, Illinois

Structural Engineering, Advanced Project Delivery™, Erection Engineering

Memphis International Airport, FedEx Airbus Hangar Facility

Memphis, Tennessee

Structural Engineering

Dulles Jet Center Hangar Collapse Investigation

Dulles, Virginia

Damage Assessment, Cause & Origin Analysis, Demolition Support

Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) Testing & Evaluation Hangar Complex

Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland

Structural Engineering

Hamad International Airport, Aircraft Maintenance Hangar

Doha, Qatar

Structural Engineering

MAINTENANCE ON A GRAND SCALE

American Airlines’ new maintenance facility at O’Hare International Airport, a twin-777 hangar, is the largest dual-access hangar in the world.

Why Us?

Terminals

HANGARS

Facilities

Here’s How

Support & Parking Facilities

O’Hare International Airport, United Airlines Ground Equipment Maintenance Facility

Chicago, Illinois

Structural Engineering, Construction Engineering, Advanced Project Delivery™

Los Angeles International Airport, Consolidated Rent-a-Car Center (ConRAC)

Los Angeles, California

Protective Design, Structural Peer Review

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Airport Police Facility (APF)

Los Angeles, California

Protective Design, Façade Engineering, Sustainability, Waterproofing

O’Hare International Airport, FedEx Cargo Facility

Chicago, Illinois

Structural Engineering, Construction Engineering,

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Parking Garages

Atlanta, Georgia

Structural Engineering, Façade Engineering (canopy with ETFE membrane)

THIS STRUCTURE IS A GEM

United Airlines’ ground equipment maintenance (GEM) building at O’Hare International Airport houses workshops, overhead cranes and a painting facility. United called on us to save time by employing our APD service.

Why Us?

Terminals

Hangars

FACILITIES

Here’s How

© James Steinkamp Photography

HERE’S HOW

We partner with clients to create enduring solutions.

Our engineers, architects, scientists and sustainability experts collaborate from 45+ offices worldwide to bring your goals to fruition. There’s no challenge we won’t tackle with strategic insight, robust collaboration and creative problem-solving.

We’d like to start with yours.

Acoustics, Noise & Vibration

Aviation Biomechanics & Life Sciences

Commercial

Construction Engineering

Critical Facilities

Cultural & Community

Decarbonization

Defense

Education

Energy

Façades

Forensics & Investigations

Government

Healthcare

Hospitality & Gaming

Insurance

Laboratory & Research

Protective Design & Security

Residential

Resilience

Restoration & Renewal

Special Structures

Sports & Public Assembly

Structural Design

Sustainability

Tall & Supertall Buildings

Transportation & Infrastructure

Thomas D. Poulos Senior Principal TPoulos@ThorntonTomasetti.com

+1.312.596.2118

CHICAGO

AVIATION MARKET SECTOR LEADER

In his 35-year career, Tom’s projects – new design and modernizations – have ranged from iconic terminals and the world’s largest hangars to cargo and support facilities at airports worldwide.

+1.972.764.6240

MID-ATLANTIC/SOUTH REGION AVIATION LEAD

John’s 35 years of experience in structural design and project management includes aviation projects totaling more than 6 million square feet.

+1.206.372.5085

SAN FRANCISCO

WESTERN REGION AVIATION LEAD

Tyler’s experience includes several airport terminals. His expertise encompasses seismic resilience, sustainability and innovative delivery methods such as progressive design-build.

EASTERN

JBarry@ThorntonTomasetti.com

+1.917.661.8124

With more than 15 years of experience, John specializes in the design of long-span structures, including several airport terminal projects.

Karen Grossett Vice President KGrossett@ThorntonTomasetti.com +1.312.596.2278

CHICAGO

MIDWEST

Karen’s experience includes structural design for new facilities and major renovations. Her portfolio includes many long-span structures for airport terminals and other critical infrastructure projects.

Why Us?

Terminals

Hangars Facilities

HERE’S HOW

+44.020.3965.1516

LONDON

EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST REGION AVIATION

Daniel has 25 years of experience designing high-profile projects around the world. He specializes in applying computational design methods to optimize complex structures.

Gunnar Hubbard Principal

GHubbard@ThorntonTomasetti.com

+1.207.245.6070

PORTLAND (MAINE)

SUSTAINABILITY LEAD

Gunnar has 30 years of experience and is a recognized leader in green building across the U.S. and the world. He is an expert in creating high-performance, low-energy, healthy buildings, and has extensive airport experience.

We want to hear from you!

+1.414.292.9694

MILWAUKEE

FAÇADE ENGINEERING LEAD

Matt specializes in structural and thermalperformance analysis of exterior wall systems, particularly structural glass and steel specialty structures. His aviation experience includes terminal façades and canopy structures.

Please contact us if you’d like to collaborate or learn more about our services.

REGION AVIATION LEAD

REGION AVIATION LEAD

John Barry Principal

LEAD

Daniel Bosia Associate Principal & Design Director DBosia@ThorntonTomasetti.com

Matt Kuba Vice President MKuba@ThorntonTomasetti.com

John Aniol Associate Principal JAniol@ThorntonTomasetti.com

DALLAS Tyler Ranf Vice President TRanf@ThorntonTomasetti.com

Carrasco International Airport Roof Montevideo,

© Daniela Mac Adden