A trusted partner in refreshing and refurbishing busy hub airport

Client

Salt Lake City International Airport

Location

Salt Lake City, UT

Challenge

Salt Lake City International Airport, a key transportation hub in a growing market, needed expansion and renovation to meet future demand without disrupting daily operations.  

Since 2011, our office has been a partner with our client on the airport project, providing materials testing and environmental engineering services over the  phased construction of a new terminal, gateway entry facility, two 50-gate concourses, car rental quick turnaround, central utility plant, parking structure, at-grade elevated roadways, light-rail station, airfield taxiways, and aprons.  

Challenges present themselves in different ways on long-term projects like this. Our goal has been to meet them head-on with solutions designed to correct and prevent further issues. One of the biggest challenges happened early in the project when the first loads of steel arrived on-site with fabrication deviations – errors in the construction of the steel that can affect both strength and durability. When the first loads of steel arrived, our inspectors identified significant variations. Correcting the deviations became our top priority to keep the project on track. 

Solution

Our response was proactive, working with the airport to place our inspectors in nine different fabrication shops across the U.S. and Canada within days to prevent the issue from repeating. When the COVID-19 pandemic halted those supply lines during phase 2 of the project, the structural steel contractor on the project used a fabrication plant in Thailand. Our lead inspector traveled to Thailand, quarantined for a month per the country’s pandemic protocols, and advised our on-site subconsultant. Our inspector stayed in Thailand for the initial observations and reviewed with the subconsultant staff for the remainder of the project. 

Over the course of the project, our team produced more than 50,000 inspection and material testing reports, covering concrete, reinforcing steel, structural steel, soil compaction, earthwork observation, pile foundation installation, and more. Using advanced tools like CMELMS, Device Magic, and TARGETID, we streamlined data collection and sharing. For instance, with TARGETID, our professionals were able to put test results on an interactive, GIS-based map of the project. Instead of searching through spreadsheets for a particular test, the team could find results in seconds on the interactive map.  

This technology-driven approach, combined with real-time reporting and effective communication, strengthened our partnership with the Airport Redevelopment Program team throughout the project. 

Results

Phase 1 of the project, including the central utility plant, parking garage, and two concourses, opened on schedule in 2020. Phase 2 followed on time in October 2023, delivering additional concourses and taxiways. Phase 3, featuring upgraded concourses and a new central tunnel connecting the North and South concourses opened on time in October 2024, with portions of the concourses completed ahead of schedule. 

Airports are often the first impression visitors have of a city. We were proud to be part of the team that shows off our home and helps to make Salt Lake City International Airport ready for the future.