California airport completes ceiling replacement project

The San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport recently completed a ceiling tile replacement project to enhance travelers’ experience while also contributing to its overall sustainability goals.

The Terminal 2 Ceiling Tile Replacement Project involved the comprehensive replacement of ceiling tiles with what airport officials say are sustainable, environmentally friendly tiles. According to the Port of Oakland, which owns the airport, the new ceiling tiles brighten the space, reduce noise levels and enhance passenger comfort, as well as feature increased durability and ease of maintenance.

In the process of replacing the old ceiling, more than 48,000 pounds of material were recycled. New York-based Turner Construction Co. was the primary contractor for the project, collaborating with Armstrong World Industries of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to recycle the old tiles.

“We successfully recycled over 68,301 square feet of ceiling tiles, saving nearly 50,000 pounds [from] landfill,” says Emi LaFountain, West Coast sustainability integrations manager at Turner Construction Co. “I truly appreciate the Port of Oakland’s commitment to building a greener Bay Area and taking action to tell this inspirational story.”

Armstrong’s Ceilings Recycling Program was established in 1999 and has since diverted more than 200 million square feet of ceiling materials from landfill, according to the company. The program operates across North America and accepts dry, pulpable mineral fiber ceiling panels from commercial properties and processes the material at one of its 19 manufacturing facilities. The material becomes the foundation for new ceilings that have higher postconsumer-recycled content.

The newly installed ceiling tiles at the Oakland airport were selected because of the high recycled content, the Port of Oakland says. The new tiles feature 76 percent recycled content, including 75 preconsumer and 1 percent postconsumer.

“The Port went above and beyond to meet Armstrong’s program standards and ensure the project was able to recycle the materials,” according to a statement on the Port of Oakland website. “This involved getting specialized environmental assessments and reports.”

Benefits of the project highlighted in the statement include reduced construction waste, eliminating landfill use, increasing recycling streams, reducing environmental impact of producing new ceilings through the use of recycled material and preserving 163.7 metric tons of carbon emissions.