The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has been undergoing a major overhaul that requires adherence to strict city building codes. With the addition of the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) in 2013, came a list of projects to be piloted throughout the airport. One of the major projects on that list is the new Midfield Satellite Concourse (MSC) North, a five-level, 750,000-square-foot expansion that will be accessible via a spacious 1,200-foot-long tunnel corridor with moving walkways from the Tom Bradley terminal. With 12 new gates, aircraft parking aprons and taxiways, the new concourse addition will improve operations, enable faster connections, and ease passenger access, all while providing state-of-the-art facilities. Corgan is the lead architecture firm, in association with Gensler and gkkworks (now CannonDesign), on the design build project for the Midfield Satellite Concourse. Turner Construction Company and PCL Construction Services, Inc. are managing the project. Construction, which is a part of a 1.2-billion-dollar initiative, started February 2017 and is expected to wrap up early 2020.
STRICTCODE REQUIREMENTS
With the onset of design, the architects were aware the project had to meet the California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) Mandatory and Tier 1 requirements. CALGreen is a state code with mandatory sustainability related requirements, while Tier 1 is a set of voluntary sustainability measures that each jurisdiction has the option to enforce. With their noteworthy commitment to sustainability, Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) has chosen to require larger projects earn the Tier 1 certification. Tier 1 triggers a higher level of sustainability strategies, among which is the measurement of Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) on thermal insulation.
In order for the new Midfield Satellite Concourse to meet the CALGreen Tier 1 requirement, the thermal insulation used in the project had to meet key requirements that measured volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions. The architects needed a thermal building insulation solution that would meet these strict requirements while offering superior performance and fitting within the build budget.
Because the new concourse is designed to complement the ocean wave theme of the airport, the architects envisaged a stunning curvilinear roof. This unique design element additionally demanded specific roof and wall configuration requirements. To bring the vision into reality, the team needed insulation materials that could be custom fit to meet their curvature and design needs.
THE SOLUTION
The design and construction team began searching for an insulation solution that would meet or exceed all code and environmental requirements. Atlas EnergyShield and ACFoam products were continually recommended by industry experts due to their low VOC emissions and optimal performance. To ensure the Atlas products would meet the CALGreen Tier 1 requirement, both the wall and roof insulation solutions went through extensive GREENGUARD Gold testing: Atlas ACFoam®-II for roof insulation and EnergyShield® CGF Pro for wall insulation. Atlas polyiso insulation creates a versatile, effective barrier for thermal, air, moisture, and vapor control, which were critical in this application and highly important features to the MSC build and design teams.
GREENGUARD Gold testing requires that products meet some of the world’s most rigorous standards for low emissions of VOCs into indoor environments.
“The City of Los Angeles, unlike any other jurisdiction that I have worked with, has an aggressive approach to sustainability,” says Jennifer Wehling, sustainability specialist at Corgan. “When it became clear the Tier 1 thermal insulation prerequisite was seemingly unattainable, the project team worked with the City of LA, the Building Standards Committee, as well as a number of industry experts in the matter to find a solution. We were highly selective in the products we chose to bring this project to life. Having successfully worked with Atlas in the past, we were thankful for their willingness to go through the GREENGUARD Gold testing process.”
After 8 weeks of testing, both the Atlas ACFoam-II and EnergyShield CGF Pro products passed the vigorous requirements for GREENGUARD Gold certification. The size and scale of the project was significant. More than 5,000 squares of ACFoam are required on the roof, which represents 500,000 square feet. The standard size of an ACFoam panel is 4ft x 4ft or 4ft x 8ft, but due to the curvature of the roof, Atlas needed to custom make 2ft x 8ft panels of ACFoam in order to meet the architect’s design needs.
More than 215,000 square feet of Atlas EnergyShield CGF Pro wall insulation will provide the highest
R-value, durability, and water resistive barrier attributes to ensure the best building performance. The wall insulation is vapor permeable and composed of a Class A fire-rated (NFPA 285 compliant), closed cell polyiso rigid foam core faced with a high performance coated glass facer on the front and back, which meets all project and code requirements and ensures a continuous insulation solution.
To complete this project, the design build team will utilize a combination of 715,000 square feet of Atlas building products, including Atlas ACFoam roofing insulation and EnergyShield wall insulation.
IMPACT AND RESULTS
In addition to attaining the CALGreen Tier 1 requirement, the build and design teams are aiming for the concourse to be LEED Silver certified. With both Atlas ACFoam and EnergyShield CGF Pro being GREENGUARD Gold certified, it will help the project to gain the prestigious LEED Silver certification.
The state of California has taken steps to lower the VOC emissions inside buildings, and by utilizing the Atlas polyiso roof and wall insulation solutions, a healthier indoor environment can be enjoyed by everyone visiting the new Midfield Satellite Concourse at the LAX airport.
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Since its founding more than three decades ago, Atlas Roofing Corporation has developed and launched countless innovative, quality roofing products. For more information, visit www.atlasroofing.com.
Modern Contractor Solutions, January 2019
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