Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport
As one of 23 sub-contractors appointed by Skanska for the design and construction of the new Kalamazoo/Battle Creek airport terminal and tower, Windemuller needed to be a functional and efficient cog inside a greater machine. The marathon project, which took more than three years to complete, expanded the terminal to five gates and 59,000 square feet, and outfitted the airport with a bigger and more advanced air traffic control tower.
Having already completed airport terminals at Pellston and Grand Rapids airports, Windemuller’s professionals were more than prepared to tackle the airport terminal partnership and the sizable air traffic tower job. All told, more than 25 technicians worked on the site during the 22-month terminal project, completing their tasks on time and under budget, before moving on to the nine-month control tower phase.
The Challenge
There are plenty of electrical contractors capable of handling projects large and small. But the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek Airport and one of the world’s largest construction management firms learned that only Windemuller was best suited to tackle large, complicated, public projects like the new airport terminal and tower.
“We had to be secure and authorized the entire time, every single day,” noted Joe Westra, a Windemuller account manager. “And it was a very big job, particularly in terms of the grounding that was put in place in, around, and below the tower itself. We worked hand-in-hand with Skanska, and it was gratifying that an international company so experienced and so large appreciated our people and professionalism.”
The Solution
Windemuller’s tasks were pivotal and wide-ranging:
- Design and construction of the terminal’s underground and infrastructure components
- Helped to design the terminal’s food court. Windemuller’s input at this integral phase allowed ‘value engineering’ to reduce costs
- Handled all electrical work throughout the terminal and in the Air Operations Area. By using Electrical Prefabrication, Windemuller saved countless hours and kept on pace with the aggressive schedule. Tasks included:
- Wiring the all-new, 175-foot tall tower
- A new fiber-optic ring around the entire airport
- Installation of fire alarms and suppression systems
- Preparation for IT and radar systems to be completed by the FAA
- Wiring the 22,000 square foot connected Terminal Radar Controlled (TRACON) building
- … All amidst the tightest FAA and TSA security.
- Established a communications and IT network (including wiring, infrastructure, hardware, software, and programming) for the terminal
- Incorporated BIM (Building Information Modeling) to help design the tower layout and coordinate with other trades
- Designed and installed various systems, including:
- Security systems and checkpoints
- Multi-User Flight Information Display System (MUFIDS)
- Induction loop
- Paging system
- Finger-printing system
- Lightning-protection system
- Generator system
- Antenna systems
- Electrical load shed system
CLIENT COMMENTS
“Windemuller was selected based on their expertise, reputation, and competitive pricing,” said Kirk Cramer Jr., Skanska’s senior project engineer. “Overall they provided a fantastic finished product, including all building power, low voltage, and technology/paging/security systems, and delivered it on time and within budget. We would not hesitate to use Windemuller on any future projects, particularly those with tight schedule constraints and extensive coordination efforts.”
