First Airport Roof Terminal in the World
Integrating (SEB) Structural Engineered Bamboo
March of 2017 - Completion
Contractor: Poettker Construction
Architect: RS&H Architects
Services Provided:
Article: Airport Improvement
Veterans Airport Terminal – Structural Engineered Bamboo Roof System
For the first time in history (SEB) Structural Engineered Bamboo is implemented in Illinois, USA. The performance and beauty of the cambered (SEB) structural engineered bamboo beams are on display at the new 23,000-square-foot replacement terminal for Veterans Airport Marion, Illinois. Utilizing a pre-engineered hybrid dome of structural steel and structural engineered bamboo cross beams, the architects of RS&H created a soaring display of exposed structure visible overhead in the terminal’s central court.
“I am pleased to see that the Structural Engineered Bamboo materials that were envisioned while studying Architecture at Southern Illinois University back in 2002 are now implemented in such an innovative way and so close to my school.” ~Stated: Luke Schuette, CEO, and Founder of ReNüTeq.
Pictured: Luke Schuette (Founder, Patent Holder, & CEO of ReNüTeq) and Graduate of SIUC – School of Architecture), and SIUC Professors – John K. Dobbins (Director of Masters Program, Norm Lach, Matt Schieman, and Masters of Architecture Students. (Southern Illinois University – School of Architecture. Image provided by: Luke Schuette
The building features structural engineered bamboo beams created by SIU-Carbondale graduate Luke Schuette, who is the Founder and Owner of a company called ReNüTeq.
Schuette showed off his creation on the airport's construction site Tuesday. He says he began researching bamboo while a college student in 2002-2003, and found it to be significantly stronger than engineered wood and mass timber, more aesthetically pleasing, and also the most rapidly renewable resource available to the construction industry.
"I don't know of any other structural building materials that present all three elements: High Performance, Aesthetics, and True Sustainability. So, that's why we're extremely proud to have developed the technology for this structural material." - Stated Luke D. Schuette - Founder and CEO of ReNüTeq.
Travis Pruitt is the project manager for Poettker Construction. He says the bamboo compares to glue laminated beams, but is better overall.
"Their qualities are a lot better for strength-wise and stability. You can see with how they're supporting the steel beams from cross-moving. They worked very well for attaining the stability via a hybrid solution..."
Veterans Airport Manager, Doug Kimmel says he was convinced after a consultant told him the SEB is stronger than engineered wood and can be more cost-effective based on the fact that you can use less materials to support the same loading.
"It looks better than other structural materials and we also wanted to support the innovative efforts of a company whose founder was an SIUC Architecture School graduate. We wanted to work with the Missouri Based company here in the Midwest USA. It is simply a great sustainable material technology that was very easy to integrate since Luke and his team created full assembly/shop drawings and prefabricated and finished the beams off-site. We just lifted them and bolted them into place!... again, it just got back to why would we go with anything else?"
Schuette says this project is special to him because it brings him back to Southern Illinois, where he learned about all of the structural materials in the building industry primarily from John K. Dobbins his advanced structures instructor.
"It all started here, ..right here at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. We are extremely pleased to see our Structural Engineered Bamboo Materials integrated in such a high profile project here in the Midwest, USA. I received a lot of positive encouragement as an architecture student from SIUC faculty to go after my vision, and pursue the development of Structural Engineered Bamboo for commercial buildings after I graduated in 2003. We are very grateful to Poettker Construction and RS&H Architects for choosing to be a pioneer within the Commercial Building Space by working with us to integrate our materials." - Stated Luke D. Schuette - Founder and CEO of ReNüTeq.
The beams are an integral element of the roof of the new terminal building, which opened in October 2016.
History of SEB (Structural Engineered Bamboo)
The initiation of ReNüTeq's "Structural Engineered Bamboo" started at the family farm when founder and owner, Luke D. Schuette prototyped the first structural beams for testing by laminating bamboo slats to create beams for structural applications in 2003 (his final year of architecture school). This lead to his life’s work as the internationally recognized researcher, creator, and innovator of the disrupting material technology: SEB (Structural Engineered Bamboo) for performance-based, architectural, & structural applications. After Luke added SEB to the (IBC) International Building Code in 2012 via ASTM 5456, Structural projects such as the Veterans Airport were made possible. Learn More about ReNüTeq's solutions and technologies....
Images provide by: Luke Schuette, Founder & CEO of ReNüTeq (Innovator and Patent Holder of SEB (Structural Engineered Bamboo and Graduate of SIUC Architectural Department)
To learn more about ReNuTeq, Structural Building Solutions made from Structural Engineered Bamboo visit:
Steel Connectors + SEB (Structural Engineered Bamboo)
ReNuTeq International - Media Relations & Corp USA:
PO BOX 179307, St. Louis MO 63117
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