OVERVIEW

Aviation Construction for United Airlines

This project demolished a one and 2-story masonry building with a steel structure and partial basement. The first floor contained United Airlines Cargo Operations and totaled 449,430 SF. The second floor housed the Operational Offices for the Cargo Facility, measuring 15,150 SF. The basement, totaling 207,900 SF, was used for additional cargo storage. The work was carried out adjacent to and inside the O’Hare Airport flight security zone. The project included the removal and disposal/recycling of equipment and building structures. Concrete slabs and foundations were recycled and used in the O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP).

United seized the opportunity created by the OMP to build a new state-of-the-art cargo facility that would be a model of efficiency and sustainability, increasing their productivity and providing a fresh workspace for their staff. Our team worked closely with United throughout all phases of the project, from programming and planning to develop construction documents to designing a well-operating, environmentally sensitive facility that could serve the demands of one of the world’s busiest airports.

The 252,000 SF facility accommodates United Airlines’ belly cargo and third-party logistics carrier cargo. The building includes individual spaces for storing perishable goods, records, and valuables, along with a range of spaces designated for employee use, including offices for United personnel and other tenants, locker rooms, a customer service counter, and a trucker check-in area, and a dedicated pet handling area. The design also provided 160,000 SF of flexible expansion to accommodate two additional freighter positions.

Sustainability and Certification

In addition to the building design, we provided engineering services for the facility’s cargo handling system, which incorporates ULD and mail components. The ULD portion of the system consists of two main subsystems for both landside and airside operations. We met the project’s function and aesthetic goals by providing an interdisciplinary team to accomplish a broad range of services. Understanding that sustainability was a priority, the project was designed to meet the Chicago Department of Aviation’s Sustainability Standards, achieving a rating of “Four Green Airplanes.”

• Met the Chicago Department of Aviation’s Sustainability Standards
• Achieved the Rating of “Four Green Airplanes” from the Chicago Department of Aviation
• The project is LEED© Certified by the USGBC

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