Honolulu Airport Walkway – Project Spotlight

The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) formerly known as the Honolulu Airport is the largest airport in the state of Hawaii. It is located on the island of O’ahu, providing connecting flights to the neighboring islands and allowing visitors from around the world to explore and enjoy all of what Hawaii has to offer. Annually the airport hosts over 21 million visitors. The airport houses retail shops, restaurants and bars, in addition to a business center, hair salon, post office, car rental agency, and a jail. HNL expands over 4,520 acres, with four active runways.

In 2018 Western Steel Buildings, in partnership with Hensel Phelps, began construction of the Southwest Airlines Gate 6 Terminal Extension. The extension was completed in 2019 and allows Southwest to provide Hawaiian inter-island flights. During the planning phase, Southwest Airlines sought a solution for unrestricted traveler access to the new terminal. A crucial design consideration was to find a solution that protected travelers against inclement weather so they could efficiently access the new gates. Due to the harsh elements for this tropical airport location, many factors were reviewed. Southwest Airlines required an open-air structure that would be durable enough to combat hurricane force winds, one that would also sustain from water damage in the high salinity environment, and it needed to be constructed in a minimal amount of time.

Western Steel achieved this by providing an ancillary aviation structure, a 12,000 square-foot, hot-dipped galvanized, covered walkway. This custom metal structure integrated a ventilated ridge designed by the team at Western Steel that allows hot air to escape, while repelling water away from the vent, to ensure a comfortable transition for travelers accessing the new gates. Senior Project Manager Aaron Meister noted, “It was a pleasure working with the team at Hensel Phelps. We were able to assist them with a cost-effective, breezeway structure that was engineered to withstand the harsh elements of Hawaii while being entirely exposed to them. We’re proud we were able to achieve their goals with a Western Steel Building.”

At Western Steel Buildings your options are endless. We provide custom structures without compromising durability. Our prefab buildings are fabricated from the strongest building material utilized in new construction, 100% domestic steel. Our structures can be designed to withstand hurricane force winds or high seismic activity. Like the Honolulu Airport Walkway, the structural members can be hot dipped galvanized to add an extra layer or protection from rust. Let us help you design and customize your building for any purpose that you require. For your ideal building solution, Western has you covered.