Skid and corrosion resistant fiberglass catwalks and platforms extend one mile over the bay at LaGuardia Airport. The fiberglass structures have replaced timber and saved the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey $16.5 million in maintenance costs. The non-conductive fiberglass improves worker safety and does not interfere with the mounted radar transmissions of the aircraft instrument landing systems (ILS).

The fiberglass is immune to the harsh salt water environment, bird droppings and jet exhaust. Further savings were realized when the Port Authority employed its own engineers and construction personnel to design and install the fiberglass.

The grating is mounted on EXTREN^® fiberglass wide flange beams that are bolted atop the wooden piers. Fiberglass wide flange beams are also used as cable supports mounted on the sides of the catwalks. John Falcone, project engineer at the Port Authority of NY and NJ, used left over wide flange beams and grating to fabricate floating docks (mounted on styrofoam) to service police boats.

Falcone is very pleased with the reliability and low maintenance costs of the fiberglass structures. “The wooden walkways and catwalks previously used required six full-time workers to maintain them. However, since 1990 when the fiberglass installation began (in phases), maintenance and repair has not been required on the walkways. The six maintenance workers are on other projects entirely."

The grating was pultruded in a special brown color to blend into the environment at night so aircraft would not mistake the fiberglass walkway for runways.

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