Memphis International Airport, Concourse B Modernization

Overview

The busiest cargo airport in the United States, Memphis International Airport opened in 1929 and is home to the Fedex Express Global Hub. This sweeping renovation produced larger, more energy-efficient spaces, enhanced the passenger experience and safeguarded the facility against seismic activity from a nearby fault.

We provided structural design, façade engineering and sustainability consulting services to Alliiance and UrbanARCH Associates for the project, which completed in 2022. 

Highlights

• To create more spacious corridors, improve passenger flow and allow more natural light, wider, column-free corridors with higher ceilings replaced the roof and supporting columns of the existing two-story concrete frame. 
• This was achieved through the use of long-span steel trusses that spanned the entire width of the concourse level. 
• We buttressed the remaining single-story concrete frame with an innovative structural-steel framing system, which uses dual concentrically braced frames and special cantilever columns to resist seismic forces from the nearby New Madrid Fault Line. This design approach enabled us to bring the building in line with modern seismic code requirements while still preserving critical portions of the original structure.
• Our sustainability analysis focused on strategies to optimize energy performance, like using a modified displacement ventilation approach.
• Façade treatment strategies to maximize daylight while minimizing glare included installation of a new curtain wall constructed of high-efficiency glazing that darkens when exposed to bright sunlight.