Construction is underway for the expansion of Portland International Airport. As we reported last year, the ZGF-designed expansion will include a roof formed of 2.5 million feet of timber. New images of the scheme by roof installers Mammoet show components for the timber roof being moved into place on the construction site.

The roof was fully prefabricated between the airport’s active runways over the course of a year and comprises twenty roof panels in five distinct shapes. Prior to being moved into their final position, the panels were disconnected into approximately football-field-sized pieces in order to minimize disruption to airport operations. At midnight on the day of each move, the runways closed for the one-mile transport of the panel from the fabrication site to the construction site.

Each panel was installed using stationary skidding propelled by strand jacks and lowered with the skidding jacks onto column isolators. The next set of panels was then rolled into position down the bottom flanges of the previously set panels. Given the roof’s timber structure, the jacking, transport, and installation of each panel were monitored for deflection.

The terminal is set to be completed in 2025.

Other aviation projects recently featured in our editorial include the FAA’s selection of PAU to deliver new air traffic control prototypes and Foster + Partners' unveiling of a vertiport terminal concept for Dubai.

#Mammoet was contracted to jack up, transport, and install twenty roof panels of five distinct types at the airport in Portland, Oregon, USA - all while avoiding passenger disruption. Read all the details, see photos & video: https://t.co/6jNTiZHKk9#LookUpPDX #PDXNext @flypdx pic.twitter.com/IobYA88MAl
— Mammoet (@mammoetglobal) June 28, 2023