Sfo atc tower operations7/25/2023 ![]() They were able to convince the FAA to deviate from their traditional prescriptive structural design to a performance-based design, which allowed for the post-tensioning. According to SFIA Deputy Director of Design and Construction, Geoffrey Neumayr, “We were very pleased with the skill and ingenuity that Walter P Moore brought to the task of creating this amazing structure. The project is the first use of performance-based seismic design by the FAA, and the first design-build control tower. Solar panels, eco-friendly mechanical systems, and sustainable materials were used to achieve a LEED Gold certification. The project was completed on schedule and budget. The piles are detailed with spiral ties over their full length to accommodate concentrated lateral deformation imposed by the interaction of soil layers under strong ground shaking. Excavation volume was minimized in the foundation design to reduce the costly disposal of contaminated soils. Since the noise and vibration of driven piles were incompatible with ongoing operations in the adjacent passenger terminals, the building is founded on a seven-foot-thick mat supported on auger pressure-grouted piles. Piles extend 125 feet deep to reach bearing in the Franciscan bedrock. Located on reclaimed wetlands, the site has extremely soft soil. Tuned mass dampers near the cab reduce wind accelerations that could cause discomfort to occupants. The cab is column-free for 220 degrees of its perimeter allowing unobstructed views of runways and taxiways for controllers, the first with this configuration. The flared shape and the offset control cab address new FAA requirements to place additional electronic equipment near the control cab. The project demonstrates the feasibility of constructing damage-resistant, self-centering structural systems economically and efficiently. The design reduced foundation costs and facilitated fast construction, with the slip-formed tower quickly rising without needing to wait for the base building construction. The backstay efficiently distributes and resists overturning without overloading the roof diaphragm of the base building. The base building buttresses the tower with four horizontal buckling-restrained braces that provide a force-limiting backstay. The vertically post-tensioned core is designed to re-center after earthquake deformation. Earthquake ground motions were selected and scaled to account for soil nonlinearity and pile effects on site response. A nonlinear response-history analysis was used from the beginning of design. Located 2.5 miles from the San Andreas Fault, the control tower is designed to remain fully operational at the Design Earthquake level, and to provide safe exiting and no collapse at the Maximum Considered Earthquake level. A performance-based seismic design methodology was adopted early in the process, allowing flexibility in the choice of structural system and reliable and customized performance objectives. ![]() The base building has concrete walls and steel gravity framing designed to resist blast threats from the nearby roadways and the non-secure pedestrian corridor. The non-secure corridor features a 35-foot-tall glass ceiling providing a colorful view of the LED-lit tower. ![]() ![]() The base of the tower is surrounded by a three-story, 50,000 square foot building housing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) offices and connecting corridors for passengers walking between terminals. The flared upper structure and control cab, framed in steel, cantilever up and out from the core. The iconic tower rises at the public doorstep of the airport between the main roadway, the active airfield, and Terminals 1 and 2.īeneath the tower’s brushed aluminum cladding, a vertically post-tensioned cylindrical core of cast-in-place concrete resists extreme earthquakes and wind-induced vibration. San Francisco International Airport has a prominent new landmark: a 220-foot-tall air traffic control tower with the latest aviation technology and state-of-the-art structural engineering. Walter P Moore was an Outstanding Award Winner for its Air Traffic Control Tower and Integrated Facilities Building project in the 2016 NCSEA Annual Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards Program in the Category – New Buildings over $100M. Performance-Based Design of the New Air Traffic Control Tower
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