Today, let’s take a closer look at how Menard Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, has embraced Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology during its renovation and expansion.
1. Project Overview
Menard Airport, built for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, has been serving the city for nearly two decades. With the rapid increase in international flights operated by Delta Air Lines surpassing the airport’s capacity, the Atlanta city government decided to expand. The plan includes constructing a new 115,000-ton terminal on the east side of the existing airport, capable of accommodating 12 wide-body international aircraft and 16 domestic planes simultaneously.
The expansion project also features a new passenger rapid transit system connector, a parking garage with 1,100 spaces, and improvements to Menard Jackson Avenue and the long-term parking lot surrounding the airport (see Figure 1).
Although fundraising for the new international terminal began in the 1990s, financial challenges delayed the project until 2007. That summer, the city hired a consortium of four construction firms, HMMH, to revive and complete the project by the end of 2011.
The main focus is a five-story cast-in-place concrete terminal building (see Figure 2). Each floor serves specific functions:
- First floor: Automated ground transportation system for passenger luggage, airport-dedicated lines, and office systems.
- Second floor: International arrivals along with customs and immigration facilities.
- Third floor: Main level for internal baggage transfer and connection to aircraft aprons.
- Fourth floor: Passenger departures, ticketing, and check-in areas.
- Fifth floor: Reserved for VIPs and administrative staff.
The project’s total budget amounts to $1.2 billion, funded through various sources including airport construction fees ($7.50 per passenger), airport-issued bonds, and federal grants.
2. BIM Technology Implementation
2.1 Software Utilized
Although contract requirements only mandated 2D design drawings, HMMH chose to adopt 3D BIM technology. All subcontractors and related construction teams were required to work with 3D models throughout the project. The primary BIM tool was Autodesk Revit, while Navisworks was extensively used for construction coordination, clash detection, and 4D scheduling.
Below is a detailed list of software utilized during the project (Table 1).
2.2 Design and Construction Progress
In November 2007, a simple conceptual 3D model with color coding was developed to illustrate the overall construction plan (see Figure 3). By May 2008, HMMH began the first phase of BIM modeling for the new terminal, building 3D models primarily based on 2D design drawings.
Later in 2008, the team acquired 3D laser scanning equipment to capture existing baggage handling systems. These point clouds were transformed into detailed 3D models, finalized in 2009 along with the terminal building model and construction progress animations (see Figure 4).
2.3 Project Coordination
BIM technology greatly improved the coordination among multiple disciplines involved in the terminal’s construction, including architecture, concrete and steel structure, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, special equipment, and baggage handling systems.
The weekly workflow was carefully structured:
- Thursday: HVAC equipment coordination meeting.
- Friday and Monday: Designated modeling days.
- Tuesday morning: HMMH and subcontractors upload the latest files to the FTP site.
- HMMH then merges all files and runs clash detection using Navisworks.
- Results are reviewed and a coordination log is generated.
- Wednesday: Construction site coordination meeting involving HMMH’s core team and subcontractors to review conflicts and assess impact on schedule and costs.
Unresolved or new issues are addressed by the respective teams and discussed in the following week’s meeting. This cycle repeats continuously throughout the construction process.
HMMH also developed a visual 3D browsing tool called FieldBIM Views to streamline project progress coordination. This tool allows easy printing of required 3D views, with time stamps, model creators, and descriptions clearly marked (see Figure 5), facilitating better BIM data sharing across the entire team.
3. Reflections on BIM Application
BIM brought numerous benefits to this project, yet it also posed challenges. One major issue was the large file sizes generated by detailed BIM models. For instance, the steel structure subcontractor’s detailed 3D model of steel connections reached 8GB, which exceeded Navisworks’ processing capability.
To address this, the subcontractor divided the model into smaller sections aligned with the construction schedule.
Other challenges included high labor costs and time investments during the early stages to build and update 3D models, especially as designs evolved. Additionally, the on-site construction teams were initially unfamiliar with BIM technology, requiring HMMH to provide specialized training to improve their proficiency.
Despite these drawbacks, the advantages far outweighed the difficulties. Advanced technologies such as 3D laser scanning, sophisticated construction scheduling, and BIM visualization significantly enhanced design coordination. These improvements are expected to positively influence HMMH’s construction management capabilities in future projects.
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