3rd Quarter 2005
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Automated People Movers
Transporting People in Mexico City
Riding the Rails in Las Vegas

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Automated People Movers

Transporting People in Mexico City

Automated People Mover (APM) systems are capable of transporting up to 25,000 people per hour in each direction, making them ideal for business and commercial districts, parks and airports. Mexico City International Airport handles approximately 35 percent of Mexico's national air traffic, as well as serving as a main hub for Latin America. To accommodate growing volume, the airport is constructing a new terminal to handle more than eight million passengers a year. To facilitate efficient transfers between the new and existing terminal, airport officials are constructing an APM system.

The Berger Group was selected to provide technical assistance and bid evaluation services for the new system. A team of Berger experts identified the needs of the airport and estimated daily and peak ridership. Based on these forecasts, it was determined that a system capable of accommodating up to 4,900 people per day with trains at 10 minute intervals be built between the terminals. Currently, the Berger team is preparing detailed specifications for the proposed $70 million system. Once bids are submitted, Team members will work with airport officials to evaluate the bids and select a consortium to install the APM system.

Riding the Rails in Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Monorail is the first fully-automated urban monorail system in the United States. The initial phase of the elevated line includes seven stations providing direct access to eight major resorts and the 3.2-million-square-foot Las Vegas Convention Center.

The monorail's aerial guideway consists of 36 linked frames and gateway switches with 100-foot spans. During construction, it was necessary to support the post-tensioning beams as they were set in place and before the frames were poured. To assist in the construction process, Berger/ABAM evaluated constructability issues and developed unique brackets to secure the tensioning beams in place.

The construction of the monorail also required the development of additional supports near the Sahara Hotel parking garage, which was designed by Berger/ABAM in 1980. Berger/ABAM engineers reviewed their previous designs for the building, developed foundation supports for the monorail walkway at Sahara and provided structural support details for the modifications of the existing Sahara pedestrian walkway.