Aurora Air Traffic Control Tower Aurora, OR

Aurora Air Traffic Control Tower

Aurora, OR

Technical Information Project Completion Date: April 1, 2015 Project Location: Aurora, OR Size of Project: • Cast-In-Place Concrete 295 cubic yards • Precast Concrete ?? cubic yards Concrete Strength Requirements: • Cast-In-Place Concrete 5,000 psi • Precast Concrete 5,000 psi



The Aurora Municipal Airport in rural Aurora, Oregon was in much

need of an Air Traffic Control Tower. Currently the pilots

communicate their flight activities amongst themselves. In May of 2014 construction began on a new 5,600 sq ft., 6story tower.


The project consisted of a cast--inplace concrete foundation, insulated precast wall panels,

interior steel framing and a steel cab on the top level. There was a

total of 400 cubic yards of concrete used on the project.


The exterior wall panels were 13.5” insulated precast panels.

There were a total of (22) panels on the project. The

loadbearing wall panels contained 2’ of insulation and

were also the main shear resisting elements of the tower.


Precast panel production was done offsite and lasted only (7) days. The panels contained integral columns to help transfer the load to the foundation. This

helped maintain clear space inside the tower.


The precast supplier chose to ship all of the panels in a vertical

position. This not only reduced jobsite time but also helped ease

any excess strain on the panels during transportation and

erection. Once the panels arrived on site the erector hooked up and

set the panels without any additional handling or rolling.


The connection between the precast panels and the foundation allowed minimal tolerance. Coordination between the concrete contractor and the

precast supplier helped make this a seamless process.


Being a busy airport crane time was expected to be kept at a minimum. All (22) precast

wall panels were erected in just over a week.


The panels also had to be braced to each other as they were erected. This eliminated the need for panel braces

all the way to the ground.


The cab was by far the biggest challenge on the project. Due to crane time restrictions, construction of the cab had to be done on the ground. The process took over a month and

occurred during November, requiring large tents to be constructed over the work area. The cab pick, while challenging and nerve wracking, went very well and largely without a hitch.


The tower took just under one year to complete and will increase air safety at this busy airport. A combination of site cast and precast concrete along with steel framing helped reduce total time on site. The result is a nice looking,

durable building that will last for many years.

Documents

Aurora Air Traffic Control Tower Aurora, OR