Now Testing: Materials for the Airport of the Future

Famed inventor Thomas Edison said, “There’s a way to do it better – find it.”

At Pittsburgh International Airport’s xBridge Innovation Center, airport employees and community partners are doing just that.

In addition to being a real-time research and development lab for major universities including Carnegie Mellon, global corporations like Honeywell, and local tech firms such as Carnegie Robotics, PIT’s xBridge – a 10,000-square-foot-space at the end of Concourse B – now includes a testing area for products and materials that could be used in PIT’s new terminal project.

The Terminal Modernization Project mock-up area inside the xBridge allows airport staff to install and test materials including flooring, paint, fixtures, furniture and more for potential use in the new 700,000 square-foot terminal and multi-modal transportation complex now in the early stages of construction.

A central feature in the mock-up area is a sample support column which is being painted to determine just the right color of copper to resemble the design team’s vision for incorporating trees and nature into the new facilities.

In other areas, crews are testing wear and tear on materials including how paints and coatings hold up when banged with luggage and carts.

“From the beginning, we envisioned a space where the TMP design team and airport employees could have a hands-on experience with the potential materials,” said Erik Harless, Architectural Project Manager. “It’s amazing to see it all coming together.”