Orlando International Airport (MCO) South Terminal C Airside
Orlando, Fla.
Award of Merit, Airport/Transit
Submitted By: Hensel Phelps
Owner: Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
Lead Design Firm: HNTB
General Contractor: Hensel Phelps
Civil Engineer: Kimley Horn and Associates
Structural Engineer: C&S Engineers
MEP Engineer: Matern Professional Engineering, Inc.
The new three-level, 732,895-sq-ft South Terminal at increased the area’s capacity by more than 10 million passengers, helping support both the region’s critical tourism industry and long-term economic growth. Features of the world’s first LEEDv4 airport campus include a top-floor baggage claim area, and a 1,000-ft long “boulevard” with an innovative skylight that diffuses natural light throughout the space.
In the terminal’s north concourse, passengers walk along “Windows on Orlando,” a 60 x 28-foot wall of video screens.
Collaboration during design evolution was paramount to keep the project within budget. Despite numerous design changes, the project team utilized design-assist, value engineering and thorough proposal reviews to reduce a potential $12-million overage by nearly 90%. BIM technology served a critical role in coordinating project activities, including integration of terminal MEP and other infrastructure systems.
The airside terminal’s construction schedule also had to be closely aligned with a concurrent landside project. A 4-in dividing line separated the two sites, which tied into each other on multiple floors in one area of the complex. Coordination between the two project teams helped minimize interference, especially those activities taking place around the tie-in points.
To exceed statutory goals for 20% MWBE and 4% local developing business (LDB) participation, the project team unbundled large portions of the work to create both a larger number and wider range of bid opportunities. The effort paid off with project-wide participation of more than 33%, with many of the project scopes being completed with MWBE/LDB prime contracts.
