Designed by Pierce Goodwin Alexander & Linville, the new transportation centre sprawls over a 20-acres site along Empire Ave., adjacent to the Bob Hope Airport Train Station. The new RITC will be a 520,000 square feet facility and will comprise a ground-level bus transit station, a three-level rental car parking structure and a rental car service building.
The bus station will be an open-air facility. To enhance its aesthetic appeal, the structure will feature 16 art panels, which will adorn its three levels. The project also involves installation of a 1,100-feet-long moving walkway, which will connect the RITC to the airport terminal.
The RITC will also be an eco-friendly building, which will employ several sustainable practices. The project is being aspired for LEED Silver certification. The building will feature solar panels to generate 1.5MW green power. Attention will be paid on incorporating techniques to improve indoor air quality.
Initiatives will also be taken to prevent construction waste entering landfills by recycling the waste. Approximately 13,630 tons of asphalt concrete taken from the parking lot was crushed and reused during the grading operation for the new facility. Furthermore, 1,600 tons of demolished concrete slab and 70 tons of miscellaneous metal were recycled offsite.
The new RITC will have a pre-engineered metal roof, and two post-tensioned concrete deck and beam systems, each approximately 185,000 square feet. These will be base-isolated with triple-pendulum bearings, which will enable it to resist a maximum credible earthquake. The 141 isolators will be placed about 10 feet above ground, which would be challenging. The facility has been designed in a way that in an event of a disaster, it can serve as an emergency response centre.
The project is scheduled for completion in mid-2014.
