Case Study: Allegheny County Airport Authority modernizes Pittsburgh International Airport with Thornton Tomasetti

Allegheny County Airport Authority opens 811,000-square-foot Pittsburgh terminal with Thornton Tomasetti

The Allegheny County Airport Authority faced the challenge of modernizing Pittsburgh International Airport, its second-busiest in Pennsylvania, to create a more direct and comfortable passenger experience. The $1.3 billion plan required building a new terminal above an active automated people mover station and tunnels without disrupting operations. Thornton Tomasetti provided structural design, computational modeling, and performance-based fire engineering services for this complex project.

Thornton Tomasetti implemented an innovative structural solution featuring a lightweight, undulating roof supported by tree-shaped columns, optimized through genetic algorithms. Their performance-based fire engineering eliminated the need for fireproofing on columns, saving costs while meeting safety codes. The new 811,000-square-foot terminal, which opened in 2025, is a sustainable, secure facility targeting LEED Gold certification that eases congestion and improves the wellbeing of travelers and workers.

Allegheny County Airport Authority