chicago, IL

O'Hare International Airport Control Tower

Client

City of Chicago, Department of Aviation

Architect

EXP

Engineer

Milhouse

Electrical Contractor

Gibson Electric

General Contractor

Walsh Construction

Control Tower at O'Hare International Airport

Value Delivered

Gibson Electric provided electric construction services for O’Hare International Airport’s South Airport Traffic Control Tower (SATCT).

All services for the project were completed on a fast-tracked schedule to keep airport operations flowing smoothly. Thanks to their proficient project management, Gibson was able to meet all mission critical deadlines, delivering the project on time and under budget. These strict criteria were met while Gibson was performing technical assistance, coordination, delivery, storage, installation, testing, and commissioning of Government Furnished Equipment (GFE).

The project also featured complete Building Information Modeling (BIM) design-built electrical and trade coordination, as well as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum accreditation.

Client Objectives

O’Hare wanted to increase the efficiency, coordination, and frequency of airplane take-off and landings. To accomplish this, they required the construction of the SATCT, their third air traffic control tower, and the addition of a new runway.

Solutions

The Gibson team provided extensive electrical construction for the project, including turnkey services on all high- and low- voltage systems and three miles of airport fiber infrastructure to connect life safety, building automation monitoring, and runway lighting control systems.

Gibson’s full scope of services included:

  • Installed underground duct-banks, manholes, and hand-holes within the project site and airside/roadways to support multi-system tie-ins
  • Furnished and installed advanced lightening protection, grounding, and surge protection systems
  • Furnished, installed, and commissioned state-of-the-art electrical power monitoring systems
  • Provided the airport control tower runway lighting interface
  • Furnished and installed 100-percent LED lighting and cutting-edge lighting control systems

The large-scale project involved extensive electrical installation, incorporating:

  • 60,000 feet of raceway
  • 1,000 feet of cable tray
  • 500,000 feet of wire
  • Over 25,000 feet of fiber
  • Over 700 light fixtures

Client Background

Operated by the City of Chicago’s Department of Aviation, O’Hare International Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports, serving tens of millions of passengers annually. Gibson has worked with the Department of Aviation since 1991 on several different airport projects.