PROJECT

Joint Operations & Mission Planning Center

Our team served as the prime architect-engineer (A-E) for a new two-story, 171,804-square-foot Joint Operations & Mission Planning Center supporting Air Mobility Command (AMC) and U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) operations.

The design brings together four units: the 618th Air Operations Center, A3/10 Air Force Forces, Air Intelligence Squadron, and the USTRANSCOM Force Flow Conference Center. The combined mission supports planning and execution of strategic operations that coordinate aerial refueling, airlifts and aeromedical evacuation across the globe.

Program spaces include administrative work areas; command suites; a large high-bay operations center; an auditorium; breakout and conference rooms; communications rooms; collateral and secure server rooms; and other support areas across both classified and nonclassified zones. Secure areas include a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) compliant with Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 705. The site plan provides a recessed loading dock and more than 700 parking spaces.

The team addressed multiuser, high-security requirements through intensive, user-focused space planning with raised access floors, demountable wall systems and several hundred prewired workstations to support future reconfiguration and reduce initial construction costs. Interior finishes were selected for durability and indoor air quality, including low-VOC adhesives and walk-off mats.

Client

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville

Location

Scott Air Force Base, Illinois

Region

Midwest

Services

Federal & Military

Department of Defense

U.S. Army/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Air Force & Air Force Reserve

Industry

Government & Military

171,804

square feet

700+

parking spaces

72

hours of on-site generator fuel storage

Seismic risk and liquefaction potential drove a resilient structural solution. The foundation’s auger-cast grout piles, each 18 inches in diameter, are socketed into weathered shale. Lateral resistance is provided by special reinforced concrete shear walls, steel special moment frames and steel buckling-restrained braced frames.

We also designed the building for a blast resistance level determined by the base and provided vehicle barriers along the east and south sides of the site, with high curbs on the north and west sides. The building is expected to be economically repairable after a design-level event, sustaining only minor damage, with exterior glazing that fractures but remains in its frame and exterior doors that remain in their frames but may not be reusable.

Site work included new and rehabilitated parking, improved access with added turn lanes, and active and passive antiterrorism/force protection (ATFP) features. To address historical flooding concerns, the site elevation was raised and stormwater mitigation was designed beyond regulatory minimums. A sealed stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) enabled the contractor to begin work while awaiting permit approval.

Building systems include an energy monitoring and control system; an electronic security system with intrusion detection, cabling and pathways for closed-circuit television and access control; a diesel generator with an integrated tank providing 72 hours of on-site fuel; and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) backup. Fire protection features include full wet-pipe sprinklers, a dedicated fire pump, and an addressable, combined fire alarm/mass notification system.

The integrated team established environmental goals during the initial design charrette. Life-cycle cost analysis indicates integrated systems cut energy consumption by nearly 50% and extend equipment life to reduce operating costs. Modular massing and regional masonry reduced the environmental impact of materials, decrease ongoing maintenance costs and minimize construction waste.