b'46 ATL TERMINALSA lot of the focus was on how to mitigate the impact to airlineAmong other things, the test lift allowed architects to verify operations, Pemantell affirms. With modular construction, youthat materials installed, including the curtainwall system, didnt can hold off closing gates a lot longer because youre starting theincur any damage. Despite positive results, the test lift was just a construction on a remote site. Thats very attractive to airlineslift, and not a move. So the team still collectively held its breath because of the decreased operational impact. during the actual move. It was a big win for all of us to see the From a logistics standpoint, modular construction allows workmodule when it cleared the site and started moving toward the to occur off airport grounds, which means crew members do notdestination, says Swaminathan. We did not see any problems need to go through security checkpoints to enter and exit the jobwith the materials or the moves themselves.site. Beyond saving contractors time, it increases productivityIn addition to staging a test lift, the Mod Squad developed a because work does not need to be scheduled around airline68-page run of show document. It included detailed logistics operations. Safety is also enhanced significantly because workand a long list of contingency plans for the first move, and a does not occur on an active airfield. You kind of work in yourminute-by-minute schedule for the days own little bubble and can control the construction a lot betterbefore and after. We did not take moving that way, says Pemantell.across runways and taxiways at ATL lightly, emphasizes Edmund Ramos, vice president Mod Squad of Project Management for WSP and deputy Expanding Concourse D is a complex project for the programConcourse D project director. We know that manager, a joint venture of WSP, H.J. Russell & Company andevery minute shut down impacts efficiency. Turner & Townsend.We did our due diligence to prove weEDMUND RAMOS The integration of modular and typicalcould move a building across the airfield, sticks-and-bricks construction is a uniqueadds Todd McClendon, the companys concept, notes Chris Rogers, seniorsenior vice president of Aviation for WSP and vice president of Aviation at WSP servingarea director for Concourse D and E. as program manager for the programBy the time we got to the night of, our management team. In addition, ATLs highplan was dialed in, and everybody was ready passenger and operations levels requireto go, Pemantell says. extra coordination to make the hybridCHRIS ROGERS TODD McCLENDONapproach a success.All Systems GoTo manage the complexities, the project team assembled aAt 4:30 p.m. on April 23, the construction team held a go/no-go group of key stakeholders that meets regularly to collaborate,meeting, and by 5 p.m., it determined that everything was readyreview and check/recheck project components. Establishedequipment, weather, operations, etc. Basically from that point on, early in the planning process and dubbed the Mod Squad,it was all systems go, recalls Pemantell. this group was key in working through the design phase, initialBeginning at 12:15 a.m. on April 24, the first of 19 building engineering and plans for moving the modular units. Initially, wemodules began slowly making its way from the fabrication yard were just talking conceptually, and then we had to start talkingacross the airfield to the terminal on a Mammoet self-propelled real technical detailsthe engineering from a structural side,modular transporter. The large robotic vehicle was accompanied Pemantell relates.by a procession of lead vehicles with flashing lights, engineers The hybrid construction style requires more-than-usualwalking alongside to monitor the load, a foreign object debris planning and collaboration to ensure that materials are availablepatrol team, and chase vehicles carrying tools, replacement parts and that both construction sites are in sync. Those two jobsand other contingency supplies. After an hour and 15 minutes, are working parallel and eventually have to meet somewhere,we had made the full trek north and brought the module up to he explains. There are some logistical challenges trying to do allConcourse D, reports Pemantell.that on site and off site. Mammoets huge transporters are built for precise and For example, once the design of the modules was finished,delicate movement, with full 360-degree motion. The vehicle decisions had to be made about how much outfitting would bepositioned the module into place within 1/8th of an inch, parallel completed prior to transport. Those discussions relied heavily onwith Concourse D and the base plates over structural columns. what building components could withstand moving across theThe last inches were the hardest, Pemantell recalls. Getting it busy airfield.exact was pretty tedious work. Once the building module was To help prepare for that complex operation, contractorspositioned, crews laser scanned the building to make sure there performed extensive verification testing and practiced lifting onewere no structural issues. After that was verified, another team of the modular buildings with the same equipment that wouldmoved in to begin welding the columns to the base plates. later be used for the move. This allowed technicians to surveyPhase 1 is made up of five modules that form an the structure with a laser scanner to check for changes.approximately 800-foot frame and were slated to be set in place at Concourse D at the end of May 2024. At that point, interior July | August 2024AirportImprovement.com'