POST-TENSIONED STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS - DALLAS-FT. WORTH AIRPORT

THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS GIANT JET-AGE AIRPORT COMPLEX WAS DEDICATED ON SEPTEMBER 22, 1973. THE FOUR AIR TERMINAL BUILDINGS AND THEIR ADJACENT ELEVATED ROADWAYS AND PARKING FACILITIES MAKE EXTENSIVE USE OF PRECAST AND PRESTRESSED CONCRETE, ALL EXPOSED BUFF-COLORED CONCRETE WITH A SANDBLASTED TEXTURED FINISH. OVER 12,000 PIECES OF PRECAST CONCRETE WERE USED IN THE BUILDINGS AND 8,000 PIECES IN THE ELEVATED ROADWAYS. THE TERMINAL BUILDINGS ARE SEMICIRCULAR IN PLAN BUT ARE DEVELOPED FROM RECTANGULAR TWO-STORY MODULES CONSISTING OF PRECAST COLUMNS, PRESTRESSED BEAMS, DOUBLE-TEE FLOORS, AND PRECAST WALL PANELS USING WELDED CONNECTIONS. THE MEMBERS ARE GIVEN ADDITIONAL STABILITY BY POST-TENSIONING. THE ELEVATED ROADWAYS FOLLOW THE CURVE OF THE BUILDINGS AND MATCH THEIR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN. CAST-IN-PLACE PRESTRESSED CONCRETE FRAMES AT 62-FT. CENTERS SUPPORT PRESTRESSED DOUBLE TEES, PRECAST FASCIAS, AND CAST-IN-PLACE POST-TENSIONED ROADWAY TOPPINGS. PHASE I CONSTRUCTION EXCEEDS $700 MILLION. THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THE CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES USED IN ERECTING THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER, TERMINAL FACILITIES, ENPLANING AND DEPLANING TRAFFIC STRUCTURES, AND PARKING FACILITIES.