Lightweight Alcoa Architectural Panels Enhance New Air Traffic Control Tower at New York’s LaGuardia Airport

Published on Monday, 30 August 2010 11:32 Written by TradersHuddle Staff

Alcoa (NYSE:AA) announced today that the new 233-foot tall air traffic control tower at New York's LaGuardia Airport, one of the busiest airports in the United States, is clad in Alcoa's lightweight Reynobond® aluminum composite material panels.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey commissioned Jacobs of Arlington, Virginia, to design a new, modern air traffic control tower for LaGuardia Airport to replace the existing air traffic control tower, cab and base building. The old tower was constructed in 1962. The new tower raises the control cabin about 70 feet above the old one, giving the air traffic controllers an unobstructed 360-degree view of runways and taxi areas. The new tower will become operational this fall.

“We specified metal for the tower because it is lightweight, durable, and versatile and virtually maintenance free,” said Stephen Wakeman, design principal of Jacobs. “Aesthetically, the Reynobond ACM cladding ties the tower to the other metal-clad buildings within the airport complex.”

To increase the subtlety of the tower, the cabin was clad in a custom blue shade panel, which virtually fades into the sky. Platinum and grey velvet accents were used on the soffits and fin panels. These panels required a one-inch piece of composite welded along the perimeter, since the panels are conical shape and need finished corners.

"Versatile Alcoa architectural products, such as Reynobond®, are particularly suitable for achieving unique designs on building façades and interiors. Architects and specifiers find they have greater control over the finished appearance of their projects when working with the Alcoa family of products," said Sid Peterson, Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Alcoa Architectural Products.

Alcoa Architectural Products offers a complete range of exterior and interior cladding and corporate identity solutions, Products include the new Reynobond Face Fastened Installation System and Colorweld^®500 finish with the industry’s first 30-year warranty, as well as innovative materials such as Anodized Reynobond ACM, Reynobond Wood Grain ACM and Reynobond with KEVLAR®. Also available are the classic Reynobond ACM, Reynobond Natural Metal, and Reynolux® profiled panels and flat sheet materials. Alcoa Architectural Products is a business unit of Alcoa, the world’s leading producer of aluminum products.

About Alcoa

Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry, Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the past 120 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral part of Alcoa’s operating practices and the product design and engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for eight consecutive years and approximately 75 percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 59,000 people in 31 countries across the world. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.

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