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March 12, 2015 — Airports should be comfortable, aesthetically pleasing places for passengers. Often, older airports require renovations to keep their facilities up-to-date and increase customer satisfaction. The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) kicked off a major Terminal Renewal and Improvement Program (TRIP) in 2010 designed to extensively improve the travel experience with enhancements to Terminals A, B, C, and E and their parking garages.
Recently, Birdair was awarded a new contract to design and build two additional PTFE structures.
“This will be the third project that Birdair has completed for the DFW airport — we completed one in 2004 and another in 2012. The new structures will add another beautiful and functional design element to the airport,” said Michael Lair, business development manager, Birdair North America. “DFW Airport can attribute some of its aesthetic appeal to Birdair’s PTFE membranes. It makes the airport distinctive and memorable. ”
The new Birdair PTFE structures will be a 2,000-square-foot cantilevered canopy that will serve as the drop-off area for valet parking at the new parking lot at Terminal E and a 5,000 square-foot “sail” canopy that will span over the roadway and serve as the main entrance into the garage. These structures will carry on the tensile fabric theme that has become a prominent design element throughout DFW Airport.
In 2012, Birdair designed, fabricated, and installed four tensile structures, comprised of 60,000 square feet of PTFE membrane, located at the exit and entry points of the parking facility. In 2004, Birdair also designed and built about 38,000 square feet of PTFE curbside canopies at DFW Terminals A, B, C, and E.
This renovation/addition project with Project Owner Turner, Omega, and Howard, A Joint Venture, is designed by Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. and has the services of general contractor McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. Together they needed an experienced design-build member to add to their high-powered team. They chose Birdair. Birdair’s design-build scope of work for the new enhancements includes design, fabrication, supply and installation of the PTFE membrane, clamping, cables, and structural supporting steel.
Birdair’s PTFE fiberglass membranes can be installed in climates ranging from the frigid arctic to the scorching desert heat, to the hot and dry Texas climate, with a project life in some cases exceeding 30 years. The fiber coating is chemically inert and capable of withstanding extreme temperatures. It is also completely immune to dangerous UV radiation.
This unique combination of inertness, thermal stability, and surface properties makes Birdair’s PTFE-coated fabric membrane ideal for projects requiring superior weather and fire resistance. PTFE, or polytetrafluoroethylene, is a Teflon-coated woven fiberglass membrane that is extremely durable and weather resistant.
Few products in the commercial building products industry can compare to the attractiveness of a tensioned fabric structure. Birdair’s solutions literally transform facilities into first-class destinations, providing a dramatic, eye-catching appeal to visitors.
For transportation facilities, Birdair tensile architecture offers a unique combination of functionality and aesthetic intrigue, providing comfort and convenience to travelers. These tensioned membrane structures function as weather barriers when installed over walkways, bridges, transit stations, and airports, forming an open space unhindered by traditional post supports. As a result, pedestrians experience unencumbered access to all aspects of the transportation venue, resulting in a quicker, more effortless travel experience.
Fabric structures are not only visually appealing but are environmentally sensitive and economically competitive as well. Lightweight membrane provides a cost-effective solution because it requires less structural steel to support the roof or façade, enabling long spans of column-free space. In addition, membrane offers building owners reduced construction and maintenance costs compared to traditional building materials.
For more information, visit www.birdair.com.
