Legacy Building Solutions, a premier provider of tension fabric structures worldwide, recently completed construction of two new pavilion structures for DHL Express as part of their expansion at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG).
The new buildings are part of DHL’s $108 million upgrade at CVG. Legacy provided two buildings with covered roofs and open walls, each measuring 205 feet wide by 580 feet long. They will be used as a staging area and weather protection for shipping containers at CVG’s new hub of operations for DHL Express.
Both buildings consist of a rigid steel frame with PVC fabric cladding on the roof and gable ends. Like all Legacy buildings, the storage structures meet local codes, in this case 125 mph wind loads and 20 psf ground snow loads. The steel framing members have a white primer finish, while the fabric colors include white, gray and yellow to comply with DHL brand standards.
The buildings run parallel to each other, separated by a 60-foot alleyway. The roof structures were custom designed to fit multiple aisles of shipping containers with walkways between. In addition to brand standards and code requirements, the buildings meet strict safety codes required by the airport – including adequate space for escape routes and flame-retardant building materials.
The westernmost wall is completely enclosed to keep wind and precipitation from entering. The other seven walls are open, with jackbeams used to create eight openings 39-feet wide to allow equipment and containers unobstructed space to maneuver in and around the buildings.
Prior to construction, DHL was operating without a covered staging area. "This investment into the CVG hub means the shipping containers and packages will be kept out of the weather," said Sterling Mumaw, senior project development manager for Legacy Building Solutions. "The aluminum shipping containers will last longer, and personnel will be able to work without getting pelted by rain and snow. We expect the expansion to increase efficiency at the hub, and by extension for all U.S. operations.
Legacy was responsible for design, manufacture and installation. Installation crews were dispatched in separate deployments to allow DHL Express to continue full-time operations during construction.
"What really set Legacy apart for this project was our ability to complete the construction on time and on budget," said Mumaw. "The specifications for two large roof-only buildings that met fire codes and were built without interrupting DHL’s operations made this project a perfect fit for Legacy’s philosophy of highly customized construction."
