Thornton Construction Co.

Owner:

LAN Cargo

Architect:

Perez & Perez Architects

Scope Of Work

Thornton Construction expanded LAN Cargo’s cold storage facility at Miami International Airport by 30,000 SF, doubling the Chilean air freight line’s capacity for importing perishable goods and incorporating the latest technology in cargo handling. With this expansion, LAN Cargo now possesses the largest airline-operated cooler facility of its kind in any airport in the U.S. and is able to process 6,600 tons/week. Thornton’s preconstruction assessment reduced the project’s three phases to two to accommodate LAN’s ongoing operations, which included USDA inspections during construction.

Thornton’s scope covered various items that were required to accommodate the owner’s new automated pallet-handling system, including five concrete pits with steel angles to house the system’s hydraulics. Thornton coordinated with the owner’s vendor to supply power to the pits as well as to five electrical panels and a control station—a custom-designed, elevated steel platform that Thornton built. In addition to glazing and fire sprinklers, Thornton also provided MEP for humidification and refrigeration systems that offer roof-mounted condensing units serving ceiling-hung refrigeration evaporators. Hurricane-resistant items that Thornton constructed include two tunnels made of heavy gauge steel, cooler panel walls/ceilings, and airside doors where the automated system’s turntables receive cargo pallets. Old roll-up doors landside and airside were replaced with impact resistant, insulated, motorized overhead doors, accompanied with new dock seals and bumpers.