Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the world’s third-busiest airport as measured by passenger traffic, is doubling the scope of its new multibillion-dollar Terminal F, and doing so using a unique modular methodology.
The first phase of Terminal F, expected to open in 2027 with 15 gates, formed a major part of a 10-year use and lease agreement made between DFW and American Airlines in 2023. The design-build team for that phase, named Innovation Next+, is a joint venture comprised of Archer Western Construction, Turner Construction Company, Phillips May Corporation, H. J. Russell & Company and CARCON Industries, with PGAL, Gensler and Muller2 as design team members.
An added expansion was announced by the airport in early May and will increase the number of gates at DFW’s sixth terminal to 31, exclusively for use by American Airlines under a revised use and lease agreement that runs through 2043.
According to Airports Council International, the DFW airport serves close to nearly 82 million travelers annually. The Terminal F expansion is part of the airport’s $12 billion DFW Forward capital plan representing more than 180 project items either planned or underway.
The additional 16 gates will bring the cost of the Terminal F project to $4 billion and will enable additional capacity for wide body aircraft and international flight processing. More shops, restaurants and public art are planned as well as a new parking garage and a single building for passenger check-in.
Although DFW has used modular techniques for terminal reconstruction or expansion twice in the past, the Terminal F project is being heralded as the largest modular airport project ever undertaken.
Utilizing modular processes allowed work on the terminal’s foundations to be done concurrently with offsite construction, minimizing disruption to normal airport operations. This shortened construction time, with the first unit being moved into position only nine months after the project broke ground.
Six prefabricated volumetric structures, the largest nearly the size of a football field and weighing 3,320 tons, were placed into position in a sequence of overnight moves completed over 12 days. The final module was placed on Aug. 8.
The modules were fabricated at a nearby site on airport property. The complex process of moving the mammoth structures was undertaken by Mammoet, a Dutch-based global company specializing in engineered heavy lifting and heavy transport services for large and complex projects across various industries.
Each module was transported individually using Mammoet’s self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) and newly innovated Mega Jack 300 jacking cradles, the company said. Three trains of SPMTs, totaling 51 axle lines with six Mega Jack 300 cradle systems were attached to each module.
The SPMTs were equipped with metal supports to facilitate lifting and movement across the tarmac to the designated installation points. This jacking cradle technology creates a new way of transporting and jacking that eliminates the need for extra work when the load is moved onto temporary steel support structures, the company said. Mammoet estimates these jacking cradles resulted in a 20 per cent time savings within the overall schedule.
The modules were moved approximately 1.6 kilometres from the fabrication yard through the airfield, underneath the active Skylink Train which connects passengers to Terminal C, and then on to their final positions. The columns supporting these structures were already in position. Mechanics and spare equipment were on stand-by to ensure DFW’s runways would be able to reopen as scheduled.
Mammoet explained after passing with a clearance of approximately 15 centimetres between the Skylink cargo and train tracks, each module was then rotated and positioned in the designated jacking area in front of the foundation. With the trailers in place, the load was jacked up roughly two metres, allowing the modules to pass over the foundation’s anchor bolts.
Transporting each section through this path of supporting columns took just under one hour and involved a challenging turn with only a few centimetres of clearance between the trailers and columns. Finally, with each building’s legs in the desired location and with the use of the trailer’s hydraulics, the loads could be installed in their final location to allow welding between the building and foundations.
“This bold, modular and innovative approach is redefining what’s possible at DFW,” said Abrar Sheriff, president of Turner Construction Company. “In just nine months, Innovation Next+ delivered and set in place six massive, prefabricated modules – the largest ever for an airport terminal. This achievement speeds completion, enhances worker safety and sets a new industry benchmark for precision and efficiency.”
