Lifting the Impossible: Installing ConRAC Escalators Through the Roof: A Turner Case Study

The Consolidated Rental Car Facility at Gerald R. Ford International Airport centralizes rental car operations under one roof, improving convenience for travelers.

INTRODUCTION

The new custom-built Consolidated Rental Car Facility (ConRAC) at Gerald R. Ford International Airport centralizes rental car operations under one roof, improving convenience for travelers, increasing operational efficiency, and reducing roadway congestion and carbon emissions through streamlined vehicle servicing and rental operations. The facility includes a four-story Ready/Return Parking Garage with an integrated Customer Service Building, a three-story Quick Turnaround Facility (QTA), and a climate-controlled skywalk connecting directly to the terminal.  

CHALLENGE

From the earliest planning stages, the project team intended to install the escalators by lowering them through temporary roof openings. Bringing the units through the building and lifting them internally would have required additional evaluation of floor loading, specialized hoisting systems, and potentially added structural steel. The roof installation approach allowed the escalators to be placed directly at each level, beginning with the lowest units and progressing upward.

Executing this strategy required the team to coordinate the temporary omission of structural steel, decking, and roofing; determine staging and transportation routes; select an appropriately sized crane; plan rigging and lifts; protect the installed equipment; and meet requirements for crane operations. As installation approached, the team also reconciled differences between the structural design and the escalator shop-drawing requirements to confirm that the roof openings and supporting steel would accommodate the equipment. The condition was resolved before the scheduled installation and did not delay the work.

SOLUTION

The escalators arrived in three sections per unit and were assembled on site. This approach reduced handling challenges associated with transporting fully assembled units and provided sufficient laydown space for multiple escalators to be assembled concurrently. The assembly process took approximately six weeks in total.

Before installation, the project team used laser measurements to verify the required opening dimensions and worked closely with the structural engineer and steel contractor to complete and approve the necessary framing adjustments. The team then finalized crane positioning, rigging, sequencing, airport notifications, safety requirements, and temporary protection measures. Because the crane remained below the previously permitted tower-crane height, the operation could proceed within the project’s established aviation constraints, with the airport notified of the crane location, duration, visibility requirements, and potential air-traffic-control impacts.

The six escalators were lowered through the roof and set directly into their final positions in a single day. After installation, the units were wrapped in heavy-duty plastic to protect them from weather while the structural steel, decking, and roofing were completed. The roofing and steel contractors were coordinated in advance so the building could be enclosed promptly and weather impacts minimized.

RESULTS

The project team successfully installed all six escalators in one day without delaying the project schedule. The roof-lift strategy avoided the need to transport the units through the completed structure, develop an internal multilevel hoisting system, or add structural reinforcement to support concentrated lifting loads. Although the precise savings were not quantified, the project team identified the approach primarily as a cost-saving measure for the owner and the most efficient installation method for the project’s design and construction conditions.

The installation also demonstrated the value of early planning, coordinated structural and roofing sequencing, field verification, airport engagement, and clear execution planning for a high-risk activity. By assembling the escalators on site, verifying the openings before installation, coordinating the crane operation within airport requirements, and protecting the units until the roof was enclosed, the team completed a technically challenging operation safely and efficiently.

LESSONS LEARNED

· BEGIN INSTALLATION PLANNING EARLY. The roof installation strategy, crane selection, structural sequencing, and staging logistics were developed well in advance, allowing the team to execute the lift efficiently.

· DEVELOP THE INSTALLATION SEQUENCE DURING PRECONSTRUCTION. Evaluating multiple installation methods early allowed the team to select the safest and most efficient approach before structural work was complete.

· COORDINATE STRUCTURAL STEEL, ROOFING, AND EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION AS ONE INTEGRATED EFFORT. Leaving portions of the structural steel and roof open for installation required careful planning among multiple trade partners to maintain the schedule and quickly weatherproof the building afterward.

· VERIFY EQUIPMENT DIMENSIONS AGAINST STRUCTURAL OPENINGS BEFORE INSTALLATION. Comparing shop drawings with field conditions and confirming opening dimensions early allowed the team to make necessary adjustments before installation, avoiding schedule impacts.

· PROVIDE ADEQUATE ON-SITE LAYDOWN AND ASSEMBLY SPACE. Assembling the escalators on site in a protected area simplified logistics, reduced shipping challenges, and allowed multiple units to be prepared simultaneously.

· COORDINATE CRANE OPERATIONS WITH AIRPORT REQUIREMENTS EARLY. Establishing crane heights, permit requirements, operating locations, and airport coordination well in advance streamlined the lift and avoided impacts to airport operations.

· PROTECT INSTALLED EQUIPMENT UNTIL THE BUILDING ENVELOPE IS COMPLETE. Temporary weather protection allowed the escalators to remain safely in place while structural steel, decking, and roofing were completed.

· HIGH-RISK ACTIVITIES REQUIRE COMPREHENSIVE COORDINATION ACROSS ALL DISCIPLINES. Successful execution depended not only on the escalator installation, but also on coordination among structural steel, roofing, crane operations, engineering, and airport stakeholders.

· SCHEDULE WEATHER-SENSITIVE WORK DURING FAVORABLE CONDITIONS WHENEVER POSSIBLE. Installing the escalators in winter months introduced weather-related challenges, reinforcing the value of scheduling similar activities during drier seasons when feasible.