Renaissance in the Steel City: PIT’s HVAC Revival

Imagine stepping into Pittsburgh International Airport’s (PIT) reborn terminal, where the ghost of its 1990s “airport of the future” glory hums anew, minus the unused gates and empty shops but brimming with streamlined efficiency.

Once hobbled by post-9/11 shifts and airline busts, PIT’s $1.7-billion modernization slashed gates from 75 to 58, axed the outdated tram and carved $25 million in annual savings from a leaner blueprint. SMACNA member W.G. Tomko Inc. fueled the mechanical heart, delivering $65 million in HVAC, piping, and over one million pounds of custom ductwork.

From its 1954 start as a Hazelwood kitchen-table plumbing outfit, Tomko evolved into a full-service mechanical force, adding duct fabrication 18 years ago, then exploding its sheet metal shop by 20,000 square feet in 2010. That capacity proved clutch for PIT, where crews churned out 20-gauge rectangular and spiral duct (up to 170x60 inches, handling 50,000 CFM at ±4-inch water column), plus 23 air handlers, 40 fan-coils, 29 fans and 94 VAVs. “This is probably the largest contract I’ve ever worked on,” says Sheet Metal Field Foreman David Hughes, a 26-year veteran. “It’s a big deal in Pittsburgh.

BIM mastery and CAD-to-CAM precision kept fabrication flawless, per Sheet Metal Fabrication Manager David Porupski. “Our sheet metal department uses full BIM on almost every project, making our fabrication top-notch.” But the live-airport grind tested everyone. Civil overhauls, new highways and material crunches demanded ninja-level scheduling. “One of the biggest challenges was just trying to schedule things appropriately,” Hughes notes. “Material handling was a big one.”

Project Executive Patrick Barrett recalls the relentless pace: dual shifts, six-day weeks and mandatory Saturdays. More than 140 Tomko hands rotated through, including juggling a massive Form Energy solar battery plant nearby, and they delivered. “The guys did a fantastic job,” Hughes beams. “Senior mechanics plus younger apprentices got a good education out here.”PIT spotlights resurrection over relic: rightsizing aviation hubs with BIM-driven HVAC, multi-shift grit and sheet metal scale that turns turbulence into takeoff, proving SMACNA contractors rebuild the bones of America’s flight paths.

W.G. Tomko delivered more than one million pounds of custom ductwork on the Pittsburgh International Airport job.

Published: March 6, 2026

SMACNews January/February 2026

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