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The $319 million facade project at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport has moved into the second bid package. Work will include the erection of a canopy over the Terminal 1 departures area and the renovation of Terminal 2. The first bid package is still under way. In early September about 220 ft. of the aesthetically sophisticated curtain wall had been installed on terminals 2 and 3.
The $319 million terminal facade project at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport has moved into a new phase.
Work started on the $76 million second bid package on Sept. 6, said Rich Rodriguez, managing deputy commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation, the city agency overseeing the project. Chicago-based FHP Tectonics is the general contractor.
As part of the still-under way first bid package, the first 220 ft. of the high-end curtain wall - reportedly the first of its kind in the United States - was installed in mid-September on terminals 2 and 3 in the direction of traffic.
The new curtain wall is significant because of its aesthetic appearance.
The system, which Germany's Josef Gartner GmbH manufactured, will have no mullions between glazing, according to Chicago-based Murphy/Jahn, the project architect. Glass will sit atop glass, and only the seams will form the horizontal and vertical lines.
Two-ft.-wide metal plates with rods that extend about 1 ft. from the glazing joints will carry the curtain wall's gravity load. Silicone in the glazing will keep the plates hidden. The curtain wall will be attached to the column-supported canopy.
Second Bid Package
The major focus of the overall project is the erection of 90 columns - each 50 to 70 ft. apart - in front of terminals 1, 2 and 3, and the erection of 3,100 lin. ft. of canopy to cantilever 47 ft., 4 in. over the departures area. The canopy will protect passengers from the elements.
Rodriguez said the Terminal 1 canopy will be erected under the second bid package.
For the first bid package, the existing curtain wall and vestibules were demolished on terminals 2 and 3 so that the additional 23 ft. of room will allow for upgrades inside. (Unlike its neighbors, Terminal 1 will not be expanded.)
Terminal 2 will also be renovated under the second bid package. The job includes the installation of new escalators, finishes, terrazzo floor, mechanical systems, ceilings, lights and public address system.
"There are 93 phases in the second bid package," Rodriguez said. The anticipated completion is spring 2008, when the project overall will be finished.
Calls to FHP Tectonics, the general contractor, for comment were not returned.
Updating facilities and improving service are driving the overall project, which is formally known as the Facade and Circulation Enhancement, or FACE, project. The check-in and baggage claim facilities of terminals 2 and 3, for instance, are virtually unchanged since they were originally constructed 40 years ago, though they now serve several times the number of passengers.
"Our goal is to modernize an aging facility with a more unified image, provide greater protection for departing passengers during inclement weather and upgrade and improve circulation elements to ease passenger flow," Rodriguez said. "The FACE project is about ensuring that the airport's facade is both convenient and memorable for all who pass through O'Hare."
Keeping Things Going
Maintaining daily operations has been the biggest concern during the first bid package.
Work is being done where passengers are dropped off and curbside check-in is occurring, Rodriguez said. About 100,000 to 125,000 passengers walk through the vestibules every day.
Phasing has been essential for ensuring smooth operations. The first bid package has 84 phases, and a lot of activity has occurred late at night or early in the morning.
In addition to the column, curtain wall and canopy erection for terminals 2 and 3, work has included the erection of the canopy for the rotunda between the terminals and the installation of new vestibules, escalators, stairs and curbside check-in area.
Chicago-based Walsh Construction Co. is the general contractor. Calls for comment were not returned.
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