A new intermodal transportation center in Southern California serves not only as an iconic gateway for the city of Anaheim but also as an extreme feat of steel modeling, fabrication and erection. The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) features a 67,000-sq-ft, 120-ft-tall, steel-framed terminal structure covered by 200,000 sq ft of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) polymer pillows and glass cladding. Crews also constructed railroad and pedestrian bridges, baggage and pedestrian tunnels and a rail station platform—all within six 52-hour weekend windows. Much of the work took place mere feet from active rail operations, requiring intense planning and coordination.
Described by the American Institute of Steel Construction as the most complicated steel structure ever attempted, the center features a total of 40 arches, each up to 125 ft long. The terminal’s complex geometry required extensive preplanning and modeling to meet tolerances as tight as 5 millimeters.