- Tons of structural steel: 4200
- Category: institutional
- Client: Blenkhorn-Sayers, Toronto
- Detailing: Supermetal Structures
- Opening: February 1, 2007
- Budget: $800 million
Construction of the new International Pier F of Pearson Airport's Terminal 1 adds 25 departure gates to the airport and increases its capacity by seven million passengers per year, for a total of 38 million passengers annually.
International pier of the airport with 25 departure gates
The international Pier F is 900 feet long and features two high-speed moving walkways. Its construction signals the completion of an eight-year expansion plan undertaken by the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA). Begun in mid-2004, it was carried out while the old Terminal 1 was being demolished, along with a small part of Terminal 2, to permit construction of Pier F. In fact, all flights using Terminal 2 will use Pier F from now on. As well, two departure gates have been anticipated to accommodate the new giant Airbus 380.
Beyond demonstrating Supermetal's flexibility, this construction required a large proportion of the steel to be architecturally exposed. As a result, the aesthetic of the structure became a significant factor in considering the design of joints, given that they would be highly visible to passengers.