San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK) recently completed its Terminal 2 Ceiling Tile Replacement Project, and in the process was able to recycle 48,000 pounds of waste material. The new ceiling at OAK’s Terminal 2 enhances passenger experience and sustainability, as the new tiles are composed of environmentally friendly recycled material.
“The recent replacement of our ceiling in Terminal 2 has made a significant improvement for passenger experience here at OAK in terms of both aesthetics and function,” says Craig Simon, Director of Aviation at the Port of Oakland. “Our team was committed to ensuring that this project was completed in an environmentally sustainable way. We accomplished this with the selection of our new ceilings composed of recycled materials and with the recycling of our previous ceiling treatment.”
The Terminal 2 Ceiling Tile Replacement Project involved the comprehensive replacement of ceiling tiles in Terminal 2. The new ceiling tiles provide several benefits, including brightening the space, reducing noise levels and enhancing passenger comfort, and increased durability and ease of maintenance, ensuring long-term performance and aesthetics.
The project improves the aesthetic appeal, air quality, and functionality of the terminal while also contributing to OAK’s overall sustainability goals. Turner Construction Company was the primary contractor for the project and collaborated with Armstrong World Industries to recycle the ceiling tiles that were previously in place at OAK.
“Way to go, team! We successfully recycled over 68,301 square feet of ceiling tiles, saving nearly 50,000 pounds of landfill. I truly appreciate the Port of Oakland’s commitment to building a greener Bay Area and taking action to tell this inspirational story,” said Emi LaFountain, West Coast Sustainability Integrations Manager at Turner Construction Company.
The newly installed ceiling tiles were selected due to their high recycled content of 76% which includes 75% pre-consumer and 1% post-consumer content. Recycling the existing tile was not a requirement of the project. The Port went above and beyond to meet Armstrong’s program standards and ensure the project was able to recycle the materials. This involved getting specialized environmental assessments and reports. The environmental benefits of recycling the waste materials of the project included:
- Reduced construction waste
- Eliminating landfill utilization
- Increasing recycling streams
- Reduced the environmental impact of producing new ceilings through the utilization of recycled material
- Preserved 163.7 metric tons of CO2
