Following the Clickety-Clack Brick Floor with Terrazzo

The old Charleston International Airport terminal was built in the 1980s, long before electronic check-in or even wheeled luggage. The airport’s look and functionality have not changed much since then, while its traffic volume has grown at twice the industry average. By 2016, it had already reached the numbers projected for 2025.

Charleston International’s redevelopment and improvement program responded to growing demands on its infrastructure by radically improving the existing structure’s functionality and design.

At the same time, the project managed to maintain airline operations and ensure safety while accommodating 15,000 passengers per day, all within a limited budget.

The completion of the renovated and expanded airport was celebrated in October 2016, without a single canceled flight or any slowing of growth, and with further expansion of the airport still on course.

As it was, work phases were tightly segmented in the busy concourse; workers shared space with airport employees and other trades as well as travelers. Foot traffic was continually rerouted, and gate numbers reshuffled. “If floor demolition had been added simultaneously, it would have exponentially drawn out and complicated the work schedule further,” said Mr. Wingo.

The environmental impact of the waste that removing the brick pavers and mortar would have generated represents another unique advantage. “Debris was kept out of landfills, and the dust that would have been kicked up was kept out of active passenger areas,” Mr. Smith noted.

Charleston County Aviation Authority opted against pursuing LEED certification on the airport redevelopment project because of the $1 million or more that managing certification would have added to their expenses. Fentress took the initiative, however, to include LEED language for terrazzo in their specs, including low VOC and recycled content requirements.

“We were pressed up against the ropes to keep terrazzo in the project,” Mr. Smith explained. Then the team discovered that terrazzo can be installed over several different floor systems under the right conditions and that their project fit those parameters.

“Being able to do that is what opened the door, made the project viable within budget,” Mr. Smith said. “It meant a ton of cost savings.”

The NTMA’s technical advisor, Gary French, worked with the project team and made recommendations for floor prep, Mr. Smith said.

The architecture team met that client demand with terrazzo as a seamless surface; additional advantages became evident in its design flexibility in giving the airport a complete makeover.

“We pushed to enhance the design and colors, to bounce the natural light and keep it bright,” Mr. Smith said.

The initial expectation was that the old brick floor would have to be demolished and removed, including two inches of substrate, and then built back up again. It soon became apparent that after the cost of demolition, a terrazzo installation would not be possible within the established budget. Removing the pavers would take too much time, create too much mess, and cost too much.

Approximately 125,000 square feet of epoxy thin-set terrazzo was applied, some in new construction areas, such as the security checkpoint and a portion of Concourse B. Primarily, terrazzo was installed in existing structures over concrete slabs or brick pavers in the main circulation areas: ticketing hall, central hall, baggage claim, and restrooms.

Though terrazzo was initially a material choice for the main public areas because of its seamless finish for wheeled luggage, it also provided the design flexibility to capture the city’s distinctive character with a contemporary design. Open expanses and floor-to-ceiling glass walls bring in abundant natural light and offer travelers a clear view of airfield landings and lift-offs.

“Terrazzo was a big part of the redevelopment design,” Mr. Smith. “We couldn’t have pulled it off with any other flooring.” The terrazzo in five colors with mother-of-pearl, glass, and marble aggregates throughout the concourses was designed to represent the traditional gardens in Old Town Charleston; other patterns recall the planks of the city’s oceanside docks. “Carpet wouldn’t have had the same effect and quality,” he explained, noting that terrazzo is “a cleaner material” and more easily maintained than carpet, which can hold moisture and dirt.

Mr. Smith had worked previously with terrazzo in airports, including Sacramento International, another NTMA Honor Award winner (2012). He values epoxy terrazzo for its durability in airports and as an ideal finish for rolling bags. “It’s a good choice; it looks good,” he said.

In Charleston’s redeveloped and improved airport, the terrazzo is a unifying element for the airport’s various spaces and functions, flowing seamlessly over the different substrates, now hidden. The floor reinforces the design concept as the colors and patterns carry the passenger from the curbside to the gate and back.