Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal, Atlanta Airport

Owner: City of Atlanta, Department of Aviation
General Contractor: HMMH Joint Venture

In 2008, the City of Atlanta began construction on the MHJIT project, which will be a stand-alone, second terminal at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The new terminal will serve international passengers and will connect to existing Concourse E through an extension of the existing Automated People Mover System. ABE was contracted by HMMH to install the foundation system for the new terminal, which consists of approximately 280 drilled piers ranging in diameter from 24 inches to 66 inches.

The drilled piers were installed within a variety of subsurface conditions including boulder fill, very deep earth fills associated with runways and aprons, and very hard but seamy rock. A further complication was the presence of the Flint River, which crosses beneath the MHJIT site within a concrete enclosure. Severe groundwater conditions and steeply bedded rock were encountered near the river enclosure. ABE used both cased hole and slurry methods to install the piers and drilled or cored 767 feet of rock during the installation. The drilled piers were completed in April 2009 and the terminal is scheduled to be completed in 2012.