Photo by Robb Williamson, AECOM Corporate Photographer
Photo by Robb Williamson, AECOM Corporate Photographer

Logan International Airport – Terminal B Improvements, Boston

Renovations and improvements to Logan International Airport's Terminal B included 24 ticket counter positions, a relocated and modified TSA passenger checkpoint, 10 reconfigured departure lounges and boarding gates, a secure passenger connection to Pier B, concessional shell space, new club shell space and new baggage systems and bag claim devices. Several airside improvements, including a reconfigured apron and aircraft fueling system, were also part of the project scope.

Working at an operational airport had its challenges. Construction was a 24-hour operation in order to work around the airport's busiest hours. Check point installation ran from 6 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. to avoid the high traffic times. In addition, temporary walls were a crucial part of this project to separate the public from the work and to mitigate noise.

Other challenges included the concern that a major milestone in the project—the installation of the baggage handling system (BHS), a $15-million, eight-month process—would not be met in time. But through the use of building information modeling (BIM), the team was able to keep coordination-related changes to a minimum and expedite the installation process to meet the aggressive time line. Through the use of BIM, there was a 15% time savings on the BHS schedule. An additional 15% schedule savings was achieved on the installation of the 12 new TSA check point lanes through the use of pull planning.

Key Players

Owner/Developer Massport

General Contractor Suffolk Construction Co.

Lead Design Firm/Structural Engineer (Foundation/Existing Building) AECOM

Structural Engineer (Structure New Building) Simon Design

Civil Engineer Jacobs

MEP Engineer TMP Consulting Engineers Inc.