Preparation and Creativity Fuel Construction Innovation at PIT

The new Pittsburgh International Airport incorporates numerous advancements from the construction industry, but the project leaders are continually innovating their methods to ensure a safe, efficient and cost-effective build.

This approach is gaining attention throughout the industry.

“I think it has changed the way we approach construction,” said Bob McCall, director of safety with the Master Builders’ Association of Western Pennsylvania.

Developing a plan for a project of this scale and in this location—adjacent to an active airport and under restricted airspace—is a significant challenge. However, this is where the creativity of the project leadership really comes into play.

Road to the future

In most construction projects, roadways and bridges are typically built later in the timeline.

However, due to the nature of the double-decker bridge in front of the new terminal at PIT and the overhang of the roof of the new terminal, some of those bridge pieces needed to be added earlier than usual, according to Rob Bramblett, project executive with PJ Dick/Hunt.

“We started thinking, ‘Well, because we’re building the bridge girders, why don’t we just go ahead and build the bridge,” Bramblett said. “And the biggest benefit to that is logistics.”

While altering the schedule to finish the bridge sooner may seem minor to an outsider, the project team recognized the significant advantages it offered for construction deliveries.

For buildings with multiple levels, like the new terminal, a vertical hoist is usually necessary to send materials to upper floors. This often limits access to only one delivery at a time at a single location.

Unless, of course, there are roadways that can lead directly to multiple vestibules per level, creating an efficient, quicker and more cost-effective method to getting material where it needs to be.

“Ultimately, I have 1,000 workers out there, but if they don’t have the material, they can’t work,” Bramblett said.

This adjustment led to a streamlined process for contractors working on the interior of the new terminal.

The bridge system’s efficiency not only improves logistics but also enhances safety.

“Kudos to our construction management team for identifying that opportunity for us to engineer out a hazard,” said Patrick Marsilio, safety lead on the new PIT project with Jacobs.

Using the bridge to make deliveries eradicates the need to have large loads hoisted in the air, which poses a much larger risk.

“Any time we can eliminate a hazard, that’s what we strive to do,” Marsilio said.

Safety advancements

The environmental health and safety program across the entire project has its own laundry list of innovative practices.

Each contractor has its own safety personnel; however, the decision early in the project’s lifespan to unify into one cohesive program has led to creative initiatives, such as the “You Asked, We Did” committee and the Five Worker lunches. These initiatives allow on-site workers to provide direct feedback and suggestions to management and project executives.

Additionally, the program established a Craft Workers Safety Committee, which regularly brings together union stewards to discuss what practices in the field are working well and what can be improved.

Furthermore, the Allegheny County Airport Authority formed a unique partnership with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that reinforces the authority’s commitment to safety.

“The safety program on that project has raised the bar for construction in this region,” McCall said.

The program also includes Principal Safety Meetings, which allow managers to conduct regular visual audits of the job site. Additionally, the Eyrus badging system tracks workers’ general locations to assist in emergency situations.

A key component of the project’s safety oversight is the Well-Being Program, which provides workers with dedicated resources aimed at fostering a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives.

A marquee tour program

The site’s tour program, which gives individuals outside the project an opportunity to see the construction in person, would be impossible without the collaboration of the safety team.

“When people walk the building and see what’s happening, most of the time they leave with an extreme sense of pride,” Bramblett said. “It’s really made this project marquee across the entire country for its innovation and how it’s going, but we don’t sacrifice safety.”

Tour participants receive personal protective equipment and security badges as they arrive and are given a safety briefing before heading to the site with their tour guides and safety team members.

“Making sure that we have additional eyes out in the field when we have groups of visitors come through allows our tour guests to be able to witness the construction project and envision the new terminal in its finished state without having to worry about the hazards that they may be confronted with,” Marsilio said.

Ultimately, PIT is not innovating for innovation’s sake; it is committed to creating a world-class experience for its partners and passengers.

“Anybody who goes to the airport, you have that ‘wow factor’ when you come over the hill off the interstate there, and you look to your right and see the new building now,” McCall said.

“It’s almost stunning when you see it.”

Passengers will see and use the new terminal, parking structure and roadways when they open this year.