Portland International Airport (PDX), Terminal Core Redevelopment

The Portland International Airport (PDX) Terminal Core Redevelopment (TCORE) Project is a $2 billion expansion and modernization that doubled the size of the passenger ticketing area and reimagines the passenger experience in the 21st century. Inspired by the Pacific Northwest’s natural beauty, this innovative design seamlessly blends sustainability and functionality.

KPFF provided structural engineering and physical security services for the project, which features a stunning 400,000-square-foot mass timber roof. The roof was fabricated with 3.3 million board feet of sustainably sourced wood, all procured within a 300-mile radius of the airport. The 18-million-pound roof is supported by 34 steel Y-shaped columns with seismic isolators at the top connection to the roof.  (Flexible bearings that enable the building and the ground to move separately.) These isolators help the roof achieve an “Immediate Occupancy” performance level after a Mag. 9.0 earthquake on the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

The 9-acre mass timber roof includes Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Mass Plywood. It was constructed offsite in large segments, and then partially disassembled into roughly 120 x 200’ pieces at ~1 million pounds each, which were then transported and installed in phases. Installation took place overnight in order to limit disruption to traveler’s schedules and help maintain continuous operations at Portland International Airport.

The use of mass timber significantly boosted the project’s sustainability by reducing the embodied carbon that is used in more traditional building materials.

The Terminal Core Redevelopment project at Portland International Airport will be, at its time of completion, the largest public works project in Oregon history. The project came together with over 150 small businesses and 30,000 local workers of all different trades imagining, designing, and operating the next rendition of America’s favorite airport.