6f Passenger Loading Bridge memo

COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.          6f 
ACTION ITEM                            Date of Meeting     February 27, 2018 
DATE:     February 20, 2018 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Jeffrey Brown, Director Aviation Facilities and Capital Programs 
Wayne Grotheer, Director, Aviation Project Management Group 
SUBJECT:  Passenger Loading Bridges Phase 2 (CIP#C800793) 
Amount of this request:               $7,700,000 
Total estimated project cost:         $10,000,000 
ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission authorization for the Executive Director  to  (1) prepare  design and
construction bid documents for the replacement of the passenger loading bridge (PLB) at Sea-
Tac Airport Gates C11, C15, and S6 and the PLB and fixed walkway at Gates C9, C18, D11, and
D4; (2) purchase seven new PLBs and four fixed walkways; (3) use Port crews and small works
contracts. The amount of this request is $7,700,000 for a total estimated project cost of
$10,000,000. 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Reliable, well operating passenger loading bridges are critical to airline and airport operations. 
Port staff has created a prioritized list of PLBs, whose age and condition indicate a need for
replacement or refurbishment. Nine PLB's (and associated fixed walkways) considered to be at
highest risk for failures are scheduled for replacement under this project: Gates B10, S11, C11,
C15, S6, C9, C18, D11, and D4. Funding for the replacement of Gates S11 and B10 were
approved under prior Commission action. This request will provide the necessary funding for
the seven remaining highest risk PLBs.  The airlines approved this project in 2017 through a
Majority-in-Interest vote. 
Staff will return to Commission as necessary to facilitate additions to the PLB renewal and
replacement program. 
JUSTIFICATION 
The PLBs at Sea-Tac  have high utilization compared to airports with comparable annual
enplanements.  In 2015, Sea-Tac processed approximately 217,000 passengers per gate, the
highest of all peer airports and well above the national average of approximately 153,000. Any
unplanned downtime due to PLB or fixed walkway failure impacts airlines and customer service.

Template revised September 22, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. _6f___                               Page 2 of 6 
Meeting Date: February 27, 2018 
PLBs have a service life of approximately 25 years before major refurbishment or replacement
is required. Many of the parts for 25+ year old PLBs are no longer available, as a result, repair
time is extended while parts are fabricated or re-manufactured or used parts are located from
other PLB owners. Unplanned downtime caused by failure of obsolete parts can extend for
several weeks, seriously disrupting airline operations. This recently occurred (December 2017)
with gate C15 being inoperable for almost a month because of a failed, obsolete motor 
generator set. 
DETAILS 
AV/PMG has worked in conjunction with AV Operations, AV Planning, AV Facilities and
Infrastructure, and AV Maintenance to create a prioritized list of PLBs whose age and condition
are cause for replacement or refurbishment. Gates S11 and B10 were approved for design and
construction by the Commission on February, 28, 2017, both of which are 30+ years old. Two
additional PLBs (D9 & D10) remain to be replaced, along with mid-life refurbishment of multiple
PLBs on Concourse A. 
Replacement of PLBs is preferred to refurbishment as it will take gates out of service for only
three weeks while a complete refurbishment could leave the gate inoperative for up to 12
weeks. 

PLBs that are 30+ years old.
1.  C15 Bridge -- 1970's (A3 60/119) 
2.  C9 Bridge and Walkway -- 1980's (A3 44/78, 55' walkway) 
3.  D11 Bridge and Walkway -- 1984 (A3 43/80, 55' walkway) 
PLBs that are 25+ years old. 
1.  C11 Bridge  1992 (A2 57/84) 
2.  C18 Bridge and Walkway  1992 (A3 58/110, 120' walkway) 
3.  S6 Bridge  1988 (A3 53/104) 
4.  D4 Bridge and Walkway  1992 (A3 58/110, 48' walkway) 
Replacement Schedule: 
1.  4Q2018: S6 & C15 
2.  4Q2019: C9 & D11 
3.  1Q2020: D4 
4.  4Q2020: C11 & C18 
*This schedule is tentative and can change due to changing conditions and priorities. 


Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. _6f___                               Page 3 of 6 
Meeting Date: February 27, 2018 
Scope of Work 
(1)   Design services for this scope of work will be provided under existing indefinite
delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) design services contract. 
(2)   Purchase  and  installation  of  new  PLBs,  associated  fixed  walkway,  and  related
components at Gates C9, C11, C15, C18, D4, D11, and S6 along with necessary
architectural, electrical, data and mechanical infrastructure upgrades to meet new PLB
standards and current code requirements. 
(3)   Port  Construction  Services  will  perform  work  associated  with  preparing  the
foundations upgrade or replacement and provide construction management services
for PLB installations at all gates. 
(4)   The new bridges will be connected to the Port's facility monitoring system so any
malfunction that shuts the bridge down will be promptly reported to Maintenance for
faster response. 
Small Business 
Through Port Construction Services (PCS), small works contracts are utilized,  providing  a
number of small business opportunities within the project scope of work.
Schedule 
Activity 
Commission design authorization                                     2018 Quarter 1 
Design start                                                               2018 Quarter 2 
Commission construction authorization                                2018 Quarter 1 
Construction start                                                       2018 Quarter 4 
In-use date                                                               2020 Quarter 4 
Cost Breakdown                                     This Request           Total Project 
Design                                                  $1,100,000             $1,500,000 
Construction                                             $6,600,000             $8,500,000 
Total                                                         $7,700,000             $10,000,000 
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
Alternative 1  Status Quo: Only replace Gates S11 and B10. This work is fully funded and
currently at 30%. 
Cost Implications: $2,300,000 
Pros: 
(1)   This alternative minimizes the capital investment by only replacing the two gates
currently funded. 


Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. _6f___                               Page 4 of 6 
Meeting Date: February 27, 2018 
Cons: 
(1)   This option does not provide the Port dependable equipment to facilitate airline
operations; when PLB's are out of service, it impacts the airlines, operations, and
passengers. 
(2)   This alternative would significantly degrade the quality of passenger experience at
Sea-Tac. 
(3)   This alternative would potentially lead to airlines insisting on processing departing
passengers in severely congested hold rooms on other concourses already being used
for other flights. 
(4)   This alternative does not provide reliable gate capacity for the increasing number of
flights. 
(5)   This alternative does not give airlines, tenants, and passengers a reliable gate system
to provide customer service and process guests for arrivals and departures. 
This is not the recommended alternative. 
Alternative 2  Speed up the Construction Timeline (four PLB's in 2018 and five PLB's in 2019). 
Cost Implications: $10,000,000 
Pros: 
(1)   This alternative completes the project in less time. 
Cons: 
(1)   Same capital investment used to complete the project, but in a shorter timeframe;
budget not spread out over multiple years. 
(2)   Potentially stress PCS resources to complete five replacements in 2019. 
(3)   Stress airline operations by having multiple gates out of service in 2019. 
This is not the recommended alternative. 
Alternative 3  Replace the PLB's on Current Timeline (four PLB's in 2018, two PLB's in 2019,
and three PLB's in 2020). 
Cost Implications: $10,000,000 
Pros: 
(1)   Spreads the capital investment over more years. 
(2)   It allows PCS flexibility in replacement of gates. 
Cons: 
(1)   This is the longest construction time. 
This is the recommended alternative. 



Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. _6f___                               Page 5 of 6 
Meeting Date: February 27, 2018 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Cost Estimate/Authorization Summary              Capital        Expense           Total 
COST ESTIMATE 
Original estimate                                $10,000,000               $0     $10,000,000 
AUTHORIZATION 
Previous authorizations                          $2,300,000               $0      $2,300,000 
Current request for authorization                $7,700,000               $0      $7,700,000 
Total authorizations, including this request      $10,000,000               $0     $10,000,000 
Remaining amount to be authorized                    $0             $0             $0 
Annual Budget Status and Source of Funds 
The Passenger Loading Bridges Project CIP#C800793 is included in the 2018-2022 capital budget
and plan of finance with a budget of $10,000,000. The funding sources will include the Airport
Development Fund and future revenue bonds. 
Financial Analysis and Summary 
Project cost for analysis              $10,000,000 
Business Unit (BU)                  Passenger Loading Bridges 
Effect on business performance     NOI after depreciation will increase 
(NOI after depreciation) 
IRR/NPV (if relevant)                N/A 
CPE Impact                       $.04 in 2021 
Future Revenues and Expenses (Total cost of ownership) 
This is a renewal and replacement program that replaces existing equipment that is old and
dated.  Replacement of the equipment will require a similar level of maintenance and an
anticipated reduced level of repairs and does not have a material impact on current Aviation
Maintenance O&M costs. 
OTHER BACKGROUND 
PLBs were historically predominantly owned by airlines. Over the past fifteen years or so, the
Port has increasingly taken over ownership of PLBs when they needed to be replaced in order
to provide a consistent level of maintenance and level of service for all PLBs. Currently, Alaska
is the only airline owning PLBs at Sea-Tac. Upon the completion of this project and the North
Satellite Expansion project, the Port will own and maintain all of the PLBs at Sea-Tac. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
None 


Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. _6f___                               Page 6 of 6 
Meeting Date: February 27, 2018 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS. 
February 28, 2017  The Commission approved $2,300,000 for the design, construction, and
purchase of PLBs at gates S11 and B10 and the fixed walkway at S11. 

















Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.

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