New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity, Flexibility at Brownsville South Padre Island Int'l - Airport Improvement ...

Page created by Sylvia Simpson
 
CONTINUE READING
New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity, Flexibility at Brownsville South Padre Island Int'l - Airport Improvement ...
A I R P O R T I M P R O V E M E N T. C O M   01|02 2021

                                                                        Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Int’l
 Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Int’l Updates Signs for Motorists            Leverages Innovation

         New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity,
         Flexibility at Brownsville South Padre Island Int’l
AIRPORT STORIES INSIDE: BNA | BRO | BUR | BWI | CHS | CVG | FLL | GRR | LAX | M01 | MBT | MCO | MWH | RSW | SAN | SFO

                                                                         New Concourse at Nashville Int’l
DeWitt Spain Airport Applies Sealcoat to Preserve New Runway Asphalt     Facilitates More Expansion & Renovations
New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity, Flexibility at Brownsville South Padre Island Int'l - Airport Improvement ...
MAKE A
SMARTER FIRST

Experience convention-defying smart glass that brings

travelers closer to the outdoors while regulating heat to

create a more relaxing airport environment. It’s time to

build the airport of the future. Build unbound.

Learn more at SageGlass.com/airports
New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity, Flexibility at Brownsville South Padre Island Int'l - Airport Improvement ...
IN THIS ISSUE 3

                                                                                      16   Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Int’l
                                                                                           Updates Signs for Motorists

8                                                                                     22
                                                                                           Cincinnati/Northern
     New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity, Flexibility                            Kentucky Int’l
     at Brownsville South Padre Island Int’l                                               Leverages Innovation

30                                          34                                        38
     DeWitt Spain Airport Applies                                                          New Concourse at Nashville Int’l
     Sealcoat to Preserve New                         Virtual Ramp Control System          Updates City’s Front Door, Facilitates
     Runway Asphalt                                   in the Works at Orlando Int’l        More Expansion & Renovations

44                                          48                                        54
     Hollywood Burbank Airport                                                             San Diego Int’l Captures
     Recoups Valuable Parking                         Grant County Int’l Flattens          Stormwater Runoff for Reuse
     Revenue with Pre-Booking Engine                  Hump in Runway                       at Rental Car Center

                                                                                                     AirportImprovement.com   January | February 2021
New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity, Flexibility at Brownsville South Padre Island Int'l - Airport Improvement ...
A L L N E W B O D Y. S A M E S O U L .

L E A D I N G I N N O VAT I V E T E C H N O L O G Y.
    ENHANCED DRIVER EXPERIENCE.
            THE NEW STRIKER IS HERE.

                            oshkoshairport.com

 ©2021 Oshkosh Corporation. Oshkosh, the Oshkosh logo, Striker and the Striker logo are registered trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation, Oshkosh WI, USA.
New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity, Flexibility at Brownsville South Padre Island Int'l - Airport Improvement ...
IN THIS ISSUE 5

Publisher                                                                  PHOTO: PRISCILLA HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY
Paul H. Bowers
paulbowers@airportimprovement.com
262.510.7832

Editorial Consultant
Rebecca Douglas
rebeccadouglas@airportimprovement.com
815.621.4525

Social Media Director
Kristin Shaw
kristinshaw@airportimprovement.com

                                                                          58                                                                 62
Creative & Production Director                                                                                                                             Enabling Projects Pave the Way for
Becker 505, LLC – Chad Becker
                                                                                       Murfreesboro Municipal Modernizes                                   Extensive Landside Improvements
chad@becker505.com
                                                                                       With New Terminal                                                   at Los Angeles Int’l
Circulation Director
Lisa Monday
lisamonday@airportimprovement.com
                                                                                                                                             columns
Webmaster
Matt Tews                                                                                                                                    Publisher’s Column                                               7
matttews@airportimprovement.com                                                                                                              Show Me!

Contributing Writers
Jennifer Bradley, Nicole Nelson,                                                                                                             Artscapes                                                      69
Paul Nolan, Robert Nordstrom,                                                                                                                Gerald R. Ford Int’l adds an urban folk art mural
Jodi Richards, Mike Schwanz,
Kristin V. Shaw, Thomas J. Smith,
Victoria Soukup, Jennifer Daack                                                                                                              Industry Insider                                               70
Woolson, Ken Wysocky                                                                                                                         Airport Director Ivar C. Satero explains why
                                                                                                                                             and how his team is working to keep things
Advertising
Paul H . Bowers
paulbowers@airportimprovement.com
262.510.7832
                                                                          66           Airports of All Sizes Are
                                                                                       Championing Diversity
                                                                                                                                             quiet at San Francisco Int’l

Adrienne Gibson
adriennegibson@airportimprovement.com
262.844.4368
                                                                          advertiserindex
                                                                          ACC                                    6    Century West                          50      Legacy                                    46
Vicki Jensen
                                                                          ACI-NA                              56      Confluence Solutions                  20      Leonardo/Selex ES Inc.                    32
vickijensen@airportimprovement.com
414-331-9768                                                              ADB Safegate                        52      D.S. Brown                            37      MAG USA                                   47
                                                                          Aerosweep                           19      Daktronics                            21      Mead & Hunt                               57
Editorial Advisory Board                                                  AGATI                               42      Delta Airport Consultants             59      Musco Lighting                            40
David Byers, Ph.D.
Quadrex Aviation, LLC                                                     Argus Consulting                    26      eezeetags                             71      Oshkosh                                    4
Paul Cudmore                                                              Arora Engineers                     18      EJ                                    64      Parabit                                   12
Eagle Integrated Solutions                                                Asphalt Systems                     33      Ex-Cell Kaiser                        43      Pond & Company                            40
William Fife                                                              AVCON                               61      Fulfab                                60      RS&H                                      27
Peer Review Consultant
                                                                          Avidbots                            26      G&S Conveyor                          13      SageGlass                                  2
Glenn S. Januska
                                                                          Aviramp                             65      Granite Construction                  51      SEW                                       72
Casper/Natrona County Int’l Airport
                                                                          Baker                               25      Granite Inliner                       24      Sherwin Industries                        29
Chris Norton
VTC                                                                       Becker 505                          27      Gresham Smith                         17      SMART Airports                            68
Eric Peterson                                                             Brownsville South Padre                     JBT                                   14      TranSystems                               35
Alliiance                                                                 Int’l Airport                   11/15       Kimley-Horn                           28      Trinity                                   53
Donna Speidel                                                             Burns & McDonnell                      7    Larue                                 50      VTC                                       12
Sightline Airport Marking Consultants                                     Burns Engineering                   36      Lavi                                  41

                                                                             AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT published bi-monthly by Chapel Road Communications LLC, 3780 Chapel Road, Brookfield, WI
                                                                             53045. All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The
                                      AIRPORT MINORITY ADVISORY COUNCIL      publisher does not adopt any such statement or claim as its own and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the
                                                                             opinion of the publisher. Printed in the USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT to 3780 Chapel
                                                                             Road, Brookfield, WI 53045. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint or quote excerpts granted only upon written request.

                                                                                                                                                                              AirportImprovement.com   January | February 2021
New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity, Flexibility at Brownsville South Padre Island Int'l - Airport Improvement ...
Join us for the first-ever virtual

             March 1, 2 & 4, 2021

      REGISTER BY
  JANUARY 29, 2021
FOR THE BEST RATE

         Sign up today at aaae.org/PDCS
New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity, Flexibility at Brownsville South Padre Island Int'l - Airport Improvement ...
PUBLISHER’S COLUMN                      7

Show Me!
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has              Check out our cover story about                 Other articles in
created a plethora of commercial options to      Brownsville South Padre Island Interna-         this issue provide an
help airport operators and passengers cope       tional. Its new terminal includes a huge        inside look at a virtual
with the new realities of air travel. Frankly,   wall of SageGlass, with special glazing that    ramp control system,
some will prove useful, and others will never    automatically adapts to control the tem-        new uses for existing
fly (pun intended).                              perature and glare in the entry hall. Airport   sealcoat products and
                                                 officials are also laying the groundwork to     a clever way to recycle
   At Airport Improvement, we’ve always
                                                 add cutting-edge biometrics in the future.      airfield runoff.            PAUL BOWERS, PUBLISHER
made it a point to steer clear of unproven
theories, products, services and applica-           Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Interna-           Common criticisms about our industry
tions that might work at your airport. We        tional, featured on Page 22, is a veritable     being overly risk-averse clearly don’t apply
prefer to cover solutions that are already       treasure trove of innovations. The team         to the airports we’ve profiled. The amount
working, told in the words of your fellow        there has even found a new way to sell          of innovation taking place is stunning, and
airport directors and their teams, consul-       water—vending machines that dispense            I’m excited to see what the rest of 2021 will
tants and suppliers. We won’t waste your         flavored and/or caffeinated water in recy-      bring!
time with theoretical ideas that may, or may     clable cardboard bottles! Our coverage
                                                                                                   Cheers,
not, make the cut.                               also brings you details about the airport’s
                                                 autonomous commercial floor scrubber, its
   Open any issue of this magazine, how-
                                                 12-week trial of a personal robot and more.
ever, and you’ll definitely find something
innovative. And this issue is particularly
loaded with innovation.

                                   Full service solutions from
                                      arrival to departure.
            Operational efficiency is key to staying ahead of the curve. With a range
              of full-service architecture, engineering and construction services, our
           team partners with you to deliver successful, state-of-the-art facilities and
             infrastructure solutions. See how at burnsmcd.com/AirportSolutions21.

                                                                                                                   AirportImprovement.com    January | February 2021
New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity, Flexibility at Brownsville South Padre Island Int'l - Airport Improvement ...
8       BRO             TERMINALS

         New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity,
         Flexibility at Brownsville South Padre Island Int’l
         BY JENNIFER DAACK WOOLSON

                          Even though he’s not a native Texan,                      and operations. The security checkpoint no longer met TSA
                          this isn’t Bryant Walker’s first rodeo.                   requirements due to its small size, and mounting maintenance costs
                                                                                    made it clear that the 50-year-old facility had outlived its useful life.
                       In fact, his experience building
         and opening the new B terminal at Sacramento
         International Airport vaulted Walker to the top                            Bigger & Brighter
         of the list when Brownsville South Padre Island                            The new terminal, set to open in January 2021, is 91,000 square
         International Airport (BRO) needed a new director                          feet, with four gates that can accommodate four narrow-body
         to lead its $70 million terminal project.                  BRYANT WALKER   aircraft simultaneously. The entry hall features an expansive 45-
                                                                                    foot glass wall that bathes check-in, baggage claim and a meet-
           “The city sought out director candidates
                                                                                    and-greet area in natural sunlight. The TSA checkpoint exceeds
         with experience managing the myriad of challenges associated
                                                                                    minimum design standards to prepare BRO for evolving security
         with the design and construction of a new terminal, who could
                                                                                    requirements. And the entire facility was built in a modular fashion to
         capably lead this project,” explains Walker, who now serves the
                                                                                    allow for future expansion predicted by 20-year traffic forecasts.
         dual roles of assistant city manager and aviation administrator for
         the city of Brownsville, TX.                                                  Walker and his team focused on business and leisure travelers
                                                                                    when contemplating the design and customer amenities for the
            When he arrived at BRO in 2016, the airport was in the design
                                                                                    new terminal. Providing convenient access to South Padre Island,
         phase of replacing its outdated terminal, which was constructed
                                                                                    less than 30 minutes away by car, also guided their choices.
         in 1971. At just 37,000 square feet, the facility had two gates
         for two airlines—United and American—plus one restaurant                      Another key goal was modifying the terminal to accommodate
         and a hodgepodge of offices for airport administration, security           larger aircraft supporting expanded international and general aviation

January | February 2021    AirportImprovement.com
New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity, Flexibility at Brownsville South Padre Island Int'l - Airport Improvement ...
TERMINALS               BRO         9

                                                                                                         FACTS&FIGURES
                                                                                                         Project: New Passenger Terminal
                                                                                                         Location: Brownsville South Padre Island (TX) Int’l
                                                                                                         Airport
                                                                                                         Cost: $70.4 million
                                                                                                         Funding: Federal grants, local bonds, passenger
                                                                                                         facility charge revenue
                                                                                                         Facility Size/Scope: 91,000 sq. ft., 4 gates (2
                                                                                                         domestic; 2 int’l swing gates)
                                                                                                         Key Elements: Modern, open design;
                                                                                                         electrochromic glass; new Customs & Border
                                                                                                         Protection facility; infrastructure for biometric
                                                                                                         technology
                                                                                                         Airport Owner: City of Brownsville, Dept. of Aviation
                                                                                                         Project Design: 2016–2018
                                                                                                         Construction: 2017- spring 2021
                                                                                                         Prime Consultant: Jacobs
                                                                                                         Architect: Corgan
                                                                                                         Structural & Mechanical/Electrical/
                                                                                                         Plumbing Design: Jacobs
                                                                                                         Fire/Life Safety Engineering: Jacobs
                                                                                                         Lighting Design: Corgan; Jacobs
                                                                                                         Engineer of Record for Construction: Garver
                                                                                                         Engineering
                                                                                                         Security: Moye I.T. Consulting, LLC
                                                                                                         Biometric Hardware; Security, Self-Service
service. This required increasing capacity          contact gates to serve narrow body aircraft.
                                                                                                         & Display Technology; Seating & Table
for both people and planes. For instance,           This allows the airlines to use larger aircraft as   Charging Stations: Parabit
the previous gate area only held about 168          demand allows. It also increases the potential
                                                                                                         Baggage Handling System: Vic Thompson Co.
passengers—less than one fully loaded 737.          for additional airlines to serve the airport.”       (design); G&S (installation)
Even before COVID-19, holdroom space was
                                                       Previously, BRO’s Customs and Border              Seating: Arconas
limited. With new social distancing requirements,
                                                    Protection facility could only accommodate           Civil Landside: Ambiotec Engineering
there simply wouldn’t be enough room.
                                                    general aviation operations. Its new Federal         Civil Airside: Jacobs
   To accommodate larger                            Inspection Station, however, can also serve
                                                                                                         Roofing/Waterproofing: Wiss Janney Elstner
aircraft, architects and                            commercial traffic and is designed to process        Associates
designers positioned the                            up to 200 passengers per hour.
                                                                                                         General Contractor: SpawGlass Construction
new terminal 200 feet
                                                                                                         Quality Assurance/Control: Davika Construction
from its predecessor. “The                          From Concept to Construction
existing airport is sited to                        In terms of design, city leaders wanted a facility   Construction Cameras: OxBlue
only allow regional jets                            that connected Brownsville—which is just 15          Electrochromic Glass: Saint-Gobain (SageGlass);
to serve the facility, due                          miles from the SpaceX South Texas Launch             CristaCurva
                               ERIK STRAIN
to the proximity of the                             Site—to the 21st century. “Transformation            Elevators/Escalators: OTIS
terminal to the FAR 77 transitional surface,”       is coming to the city of Brownsville,” Walker        Passenger Boarding Bridges: Jetways, by JBT
explains Erik Strain, project manager and vice      says. “This new terminal provides the city and       Airside Passenger Buses: Cobus, leased from
president of Corgan. “By constructing the new       management team with the infrastructure to           Port of Seattle Authority
terminal further from the runway, it allows for     support that change.”                                Landscape Architect: SSP Design

                                                                                                                        AirportImprovement.com    January | February 2021
New Terminal Significantly Increases Capacity, Flexibility at Brownsville South Padre Island Int'l - Airport Improvement ...
10 BRO                   TERMINALS

   A large wall of SageGlass adds natural light; high-tech
   glazing provides automatic temperature and glare control.

                                                                                                                Given the tight budget, Payton and
                                                                                                             his team kept a close eye on spending.
                                                                                                             “Going in knowing what the airport was
                                                                                                             looking for, while also being aware of
                                                                                                             a constrained budget early on, really
                                                                                                             shaped the design decisions presented
                                                                                                             from the onset, making sure that we
                                                                                                             could get them aesthetically beautiful, but
                                                                                                             cost-effective alternatives,” he says.
                                                                                                               Using the required competitive bid
                                                                                                             process, the city selected Jacobs as
                Additional domestic and international
                markets may be in the airport’s future.                                                      the prime consultant, and Corgan was
                                                                                                             brought on board for architectural design.
                 Working from a concept design report              The design was complete in November
                                                                                                             Garver Engineering was retained to
              prepared by Jacobs that identified basic          2018, but the first of three construction
                                                                                                             manage construction from an engineering
              needs for the new terminal, Corgan held           phases began in 2017 with new and
                                                                                                             perspective.
              a series of design charrettes with the            relocated parking lots. During the second
              city’s design review board and technical          phase, crews focused on building the           “We essentially have a third party
              advisory committee to develop a vision            terminal itself. The final phase, slated     that wasn’t involved in the design
              that represented the city of Brownsville.         for completion this spring, includes         phase that can review the plans and
              Architects then developed two different           demolition of the former terminal to         specs as construction is happening,”
              designs, and solicited input from area            make room for a new airside ramp and         Walker explains. “Another benefit is load
              residents, travelers, local businesses and        boarding bridges.                            balancing to ensure we don’t overload
              other airport users.                                                                           the people assigned to this project.”
                                                                   Each phase qualified for a different
                While design-by-committee is never              percentage of FAA funding, and the airside      Although this arrangement is not typical
              easy, it seems to have worked in this case.       phase was not funded until September         for terminal construction, Walker reports
                                                                2020 with matching funds from the CARES      that it is working well for BRO.
                 “They actually
                                                                Act. The rest of the project was paid for       “It was a fast-
              ended up doing a
                                                                with a combination of Airport Improvement    tracked project, so
              public poll, and the
                                                                Program (AIP) grants, FAA discretionary      we were able to
              design that was
                                                                and entitlement monies, funds from local     serve as another
              selected is what was
                                                                economic development corporations            set of eyes and to
              implemented,” says
                                                                and $8 million from the transportation       help with changes
              Ross Payton, a Corgan
                                                                infrastructure bill passed in 2018.          that came up during
              principal. “I thought
                                          ROSS PAYTON                                                        construction,”
              that whole process of                                One provision of the AIP funding was                               JASON FRANK
              letting the region help identify and define the   to use steel and manufactured goods          explains Jason Frank,
              path forward was really interesting.”             produced in the United States, per FAA’s     P.E., Garver’s senior project manager and
                                                                Buy American Preference program.             southeast Texas Aviation lead. “We were

January | February 2021   AirportImprovement.com
TERMINALS              BRO         11

able to mesh well and had a good line of communication with the        Security, Sustainability & Customer Satisfaction
design team, owner and contractor.”                                    Payton explains that the whole design—from building flow to finish
   Together, the team produced a two-level terminal that features      materials to the curbside canopy—is intentional and focused on the
a modernized check-in area with self-serve kiosks. Other new           user experience. Moreover, the design team’s definition of “users”
passenger amenities include expanded Wi-Fi coverage, interactive       extended beyond passengers to include airport employees, airline
kiosks and Parabit Systems biometrics. Designers planned the           personnel, Customs and Border Protection workers, TSA officers
ticket counter system so it can be modified easily as BRO moves        and concessions staff.
toward a self-service bag check system. Behind the scenes, the            For international arrivals, the new terminal uses a leading-edge
new building has updated mechanical, power and technology              method called “bag first” that flips the traditional order actions occur.
systems that are more energy efficient and reliable for the airport.   Passengers now collect their bags before presenting for passport
   General contractor SpawGlass used the                               and identification checks. Infrastructure and technology are in place
Lean process, just-in-time deliveries and                              for touchless processing, which is something Corgan designers
constraint logs during the construction                                predict travelers will come to expect, even when COVID-19 is less of
process. Eric C. Kennedy, president of                                 an issue. All devices, including biometric infrastructure and scanners,
the firm’s South Texas Division, notes that                            are integrated into a modern, compact podium
constraint logs were particularly effective                            with antimicrobial surfaces rather than bulky
helping the team identify and proactively solve                        legacy booths.
problems. For example, instead of moving                                  Anthony J. Wanat, architect and project
                                                  ERIC C. KENNEDY
chillers from the existing terminal as originally                      manager with Jacobs, notes that the new
planned, the airport purchased new units to prevent downtime and       terminal accommodates customers arriving by
improve subsequent operational efficiency.                             car, city bus, bicycle and even walking paths.
                                                                       “He [Bryant Walker] spent quite a bit of time           ANTHONY J. WANAT

                                                                                                                  AirportImprovement.com   January | February 2021
12 BRO                   TERMINALS

    A new baggage handling system was an important
    element to accommodating more passenger volume.

           looking beyond the airport, going down the road, even several miles      growth, but also security. That included installation of power
           away, where the major signs are that direct people to the airport,”      and data to support the potential future migration to biometrics.
           explains Wanat. “I thought that was very conscientious on his part       “As the terminal was under construction and suddenly we were
           to consider different modes of travel to and from the airport.”          saddled with the impact of COVID-19, it became increasingly
                                                                                    apparent that our commitment to future-proofing was a wise
              Interior upgrades include LED lighting, lighting controls
                                                                                    investment,” Walker says.
           compatible with the Internet of things (IoT), daylight harvesting,
           individual room controls for heating/cooling and wireless access            Security enhancements include the improved Federal Inspection
           points throughout the facility.                                          Station for screening international arrivals and a more secure card
                                                                                    access system integrated with a video surveillance system to
             One of the primary design goals was to “future-proof” the
                                                                                    improve real-time assessment and response for security issues.
           building as much as possible—not only in terms of capacity and
                                                                                    In addition, every podium, ticket counter, gate and portal between
                                                                                    security areas has cameras able to feed into a biometrics system,
                                                                                    which can be activated once approved. BRO can use biometric
                                                                                    access control immediately, but full curb-to-gate coverage won’t be
                          Combat the Threat of Pathogens                            implemented without airline participation. Similarly, Customs and
                          Safe Surfaces to Relax and Recharge                       Border Protection biometrics won’t be activated until the agency
                                                                                    has approval. But the infrastructure is in place to support both
                                                                                    upgrades, and in the interim they could potentially explore the use
                                                                                    case for edge analytics.
                                                                                       Other terminal deployments will also support safety initiatives
                                                                                    and the industry focus of building customer confidence. Silver ion
                                                                                    countertops and antimicrobial films protect common touchpoints,
                                                                                    and charging stations visibly distribute power throughout gate
                                                                                    holds to support social distancing. BRO invested in automated
                                                                                    robotic cleaning as well as cutting-edge needlepoint bipolar
                                                                                    ionization technology to combat airborne pathogens.
                                                                                       Even before COVID-19 was an omnipresent issue, the project
                                                                                    team focused on creating a clean, healthy facility. Beyond
                                                                                    using domestically made products to meet FAA Buy American
                                                                                    Preference requirements, designers specified recycled or natural
                                                                                    products sourced locally whenever possible. One of the more
                                                                                    innovative products is a huge wall of SageGlass in the entry hall.
                                                                                    It has electrochromic glazing that provides automatic temperature
                                                                                    and glare control to increase customer comfort and decrease
                                                                                    energy usage for heating and cooling.
                                                                                      Other sustainability measures include relocating more than
             Parabit Charging Tables constructed with silver ion countertops and    60 palm trees to other areas of the city; crushing and reusing
             antimicrobial powder coating deliver safety and a premier customer
             experience. Available in multiple sizes, models, and configurations.   demolished asphalt, limestone and concrete; and salvaging
                                                                                    existing terminal materials to keep them out of landfills.
             www.parabit.com | sales@parabit.com | 516.387.0863 |

January | February 2021   AirportImprovement.com
TERMINALS               BRO         13

Inter-Industry Cooperation
Although the new terminal is slated to open in January 2021,
demolition of the former terminal and construction of a new
airside ramp are not scheduled to be complete until spring. In the
meantime, BRO is shuttling passengers between the new terminal
and remote hardstand locations.
   A 60-foot swath of new concrete created a lane for the
temporary traffic, but procuring appropriate vehicles to carry
airside passengers proved to be more challenging.
   Cobus was unable to provide equipment on short notice, but          All podiums, ticket counters, gates and portals between security
                                                                       areas have cameras able to feed into a biometrics system, which
company personnel connected Walker with the Port of Seattle,
                                                                       can be activated once approved.
which had 10 buses in its collective fleet that were mostly sitting
idle. The Port, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International
                                                                       the project. During construction, team members used virtual reality
Airport, will lease BRO two of its spare vehicles for the four-month
                                                                       goggles for clash detection and to visualize problems remotely.
interim between the opening of the new terminal and subsequent
                                                                       Drones and OxBlue construction cameras allowed them to monitor
installation of its boarding bridges.
                                                                       construction progress without being on site.

Construction in the Time of Coronavirus                                  In retrospect, Wanat says that touring other facilities (before the
Local pandemic shutdowns occurred after crews had enclosed             pandemic hit) helped Walker and Assistant Airport Director Shawn
most of the new terminal, but they still influenced the rest of the    Schroeder make decisions about materials for the new terminal.
project. Although much of the early design collaboration occurred      Seeing electrochromic glass installed, and talking to other building
in-person before the shutdowns, team members in Houston,               operators about its pros and cons was especially valuable. “I think
Dallas and the Rio Grande Valley relied on videoconferencing and a     that went a very long way to give them the confidence to go ahead
building information modeling platform for sharing files throughout    and spend the premium dollars to have that at their facility,” he says.

                                                                                                Design Smarter

                                           MAINTENANCE

     Manufacture

                                          Installation

      DESIGN | BUILD
       SPECIALIZING IN BAGGAGE
         HANDLING SOLUTIONS
               If you would like more information on our
               product and services please contact us at:
                                                                                  3751 New York Avenue, Suite 140 • Arlington, Texas 76014, USA • T. 817-557-5600
        PHONE: 403-230-1140   | 888-328-8826 | FAX: 403-293-9774                                                www.vtc.us.com

                    GSAirportConveyor.com

                                                                                                                               AirportImprovement.com    January | February 2021
14 BRO                   TERMINALS

            During construction, the general                schedule, used the wait time to complete       Grande Valley. It’s a beautiful facility that’s
         contractor created a 25-page COVID-19              other tasks and met the original deadlines.    ready for cutting edge of technology.”
         mitigation plan (in English and Spanish) to
                                                                                                              When approaching the project’s finish
         address new safety policies for the project.       Teamwork to the Finish Line                    line in November, Walker was remaining
         To gain access to the jobsite, crews had           With the added challenges of working           careful not to rush. “We want to make
         to enter through a trailer with an infrared        during a historic pandemic, it took a strong   sure that we maintain a sharp focus
         camera that checked for elevated body              team effort to complete the terminal on        and complete the project really strong
         temperatures as they passed through.               time, in good form.                            to provide the highest quality terminal
            All 250 on-site workers were required to           Kennedy credits Walker and Schroeder        possible for the citizens and community,”
         wear face coverings and maintain social            for their decisiveness. “Sometimes we          he explains.
         distancing even when it was logistically           work with clients who are hesitant,” he           After the ribbon cutting on Dec. 11 and
         difficult. Installing sheetrock on scissor lifts   says. “But Bryant and Shawn were both          a few subsequent open houses, crews will
         40 feet in the air was one of the biggest          very instrumental in making decisions and      sterilize the entire building, and specialists
         challenges. “We had to come up with                keeping the project moving forward. We         will complete security checks and
         innovative ways to keep workers 6 feet apart       were able to make it through the pandemic      operational readiness testing to prepare for
         using jacks and Plexiglas partitions, but we       and finish the job successfully because of     the public opening in early January.
         didn’t cut corners,” emphasizes Kennedy.           their leadership.”
         “We got creative to keep everyone safe.”                                                            The project team is scheduled to
                                                               Walker was also known for maintaining       complete the final phase of construction—
           Fortunately, contractors experienced             high quality standards. “Bryant has big        demolishing the old terminal and installing
         only minor delays in material deliveries. In       visions for the airport,” says Frank. “This    the new apron and boarding bridges—
         response, they reworked the construction           is going to be a crown jewel in the Rio        during the second quarter of 2021.

January | February 2021   AirportImprovement.com
16        FLL            WAYFINDING

       Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Int’l
       Updates Signs for Motorists                                                                                     BY VICTORIA SOUKUP

                                                                           New signage is making it               fonts and formatting
                                                                           easier for drivers to navigate         were prescribed by a
                                                                           Broward County’s Fort                  Signage and Wayfinding
       FACTS&FIGURES                                            Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL).         Master Plan that was
       Project: New Exterior Landside Signage                   A comprehensive project substantially             completed in 2014.
                                                                completed in December replaced aging signs        “We spent a lot of
       Location: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FL) Int’l Airport
                                                                with brighter, easier-to-read LED displays.       time developing these
       Operated by: Broward County Aviation Dept.               The new digital units allow the Florida airport   standards,” explains
                                                                                                                                              STACI MONTEFUSCO
       Est. Cost: $15.3 million                                 to update messages and instructions for           Staci Montefusco,
       Funding: Bonds; passenger facility charges               drivers in a matter of minutes. Estimated cost    expansion project administrator at the
       Scope: 5,390 signs (4,800 in parking garages; 550        for the project is $15.3 million.                 Broward County Aviation Department. “It
       curbside; 39 on entry road)                                                                                was important that a passenger finding
                                                                   “The addition of these
                                                                                                                  his or her way to FLL had an easy time
       Installation: Sept. 2019 through Sept. 2021              modern and vibrant
                                                                                                                  navigating, that they didn’t have information
       Wayfinding/Architecture/Engineering:                     navigational signs is
                                                                                                                  overload, and that we had a clear and
       Gresham Smith                                            another example of
                                                                                                                  concise messaging hierarchy.”
       Digital Displays: Daktronics                             how FLL is working
                                                                to elevate the airport                               Most installations occurred from September
       Technology Consultant: Arora Engineers Inc.
                                                                guest experience from                             2019 to December 2020, however final
       General Contractor: Horsepower Electric Inc.
                                                                arrival to departure,”      MARK GALE             completion of the overall wayfinding signage
       Subcontractor: AUM Construction Inc.                     says Mark Gale, chief                             project is expected in September with the
       Electrical Consultant: DeRose Design Consultant          executive officer/director of Aviation for the    addition of more than 300 interior and exterior
       Static Signage: L&H Sign Co.                             Broward County Aviation Department.               signs in the Rental Car Center.

       Roadway Static Panels: Interstate SignWays                 In total, the airport installed nearly            While the latest phase of the project
       Roadway Sensors: TrafficCast, a division of Iteris       5,400 new signs. Details such as colors,          focused exclusively on roadways, curbsides

January | February 2021   AirportImprovement.com
WAYFINDING                FLL        17

and parking garages, signage inside the terminals is also being
updated in stages. That work is part of a larger modernization
initiative that began in 2016 with Terminals 1 and 4; Terminals 2
and 3 are slated for completion by fourth-quarter 2021.

A Logo is Worth a Thousand Words
Improved over-roadway signage is one of the most visible elements
of the recent project. As drivers approach the airport, a series of
five dynamic 10-by-32-foot LED signs provide airline information for
each of FLL’s four terminals.
   The former static signs, which listed carriers on colored
backgrounds coded to the four terminals (yellow for T1, red
for T2, purple for T3 and green for T4) had become dull and
weathered, making them difficult to read. The electronic signs
include full-color airline logos. “Motorists can recognize an airline
logo easier than reading the airline name when trying to determine
which terminal they should go to,” explains
Montefusco.
  David Park, senior experiential and
wayfinding designer at Gresham Smith, notes
that logos help motorists process the rapid                             Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
succession of information they are presented                                       Terminal 2 Modernization
with when entering the airport. “A driver                                           GreshamSmith.com
doesn’t have a lot of time between signs to       DAVID PARK

                                                                                                   AirportImprovement.com   January | February 2021
18         FLL           WAYFINDING

              process all the information,” Park says. “Since the No. 1 question                                              LED displays are viewed from closer
              for anybody coming into the airport is ‘Where’s my airline?’ using                                              distances.
              logos makes those decisions easier as motorists quickly scan the
                                                                                                                                 Color was important, too. The airline
              signage.”
                                                                                                                              logos on FLL’s new digital signs have
                 Digital signs provide more than just                                                                         colored backgrounds that match the airlines’
              enhanced graphics, adds LeAnn Holler, sales                                                                     logos corporate colors, per Daktronics’
              manager for the Southeast U.S. Region of                                                                        recommendation. Clint Barber, project
              Daktronics’ Transportation Group, which                                                                         manager for the company’s Southeast U.S.       CLINT BARBER
              provided 81 LED displays for the project.                                                                       Region, explains that white backgrounds,
              “The airport wanted to use more logos and                                                                       common for printed graphics, increase the intensity level of digital
              directional graphics and have more color                                                                        signs and cost more to operate because they draw more power.
              in the background,” says Holler. “You can’t    LEANN HOLLER                                                        “We wanted to reinforce the same messaging that’s on the
              always achieve that with a static sign. But
                                                                                                                              roadway, so when motorists approach the curbside, the dynamic
              they also wanted the signage to be changeable and digital and,
                                                                                                                              sign also has the airline logo,” says Montefusco.
              more importantly, dynamic. That really was the goal.”
                                                                                                                                 In total, the airport has 39 new road signs. Three are
                 Edward Hart, vice president and special
                                                                                                                              electronic, and five (the large overhead signs) are dynamic.
              systems discipline lead at Arora Engineers,
              notes that pixel pitch (the space between
                                                                                                                              LED Boards for Breaking News
              individual pixels) was an important factor.
                                                                                                                              In addition to new signs, the airport installed two LED messaging
              Taking into account average viewing
                                                                                                                              boards above the main entry road. Airport personnel program
              distance, sign content and motorists’
                                                                                                                              the 15-by-11-foot boards to provide drivers with up-to-date
              average speed, a team from Arora and
                                                                                                                              information about issues of widespread importance such as traffic
              Daktronics determined that a 15.85 mm
                                                              EDWARD HART                                                     delays, weather alerts and, since the advent of COVID-19, face-
              pixel pitch would provide the clearest
                                                                                                                              covering requirements.
              viewing for over-roadway terminal signs. Smaller digital signs
              located closer to the terminal have a 10 mm pixel pitch. Curbside                                          The airport recently used the messaging boards to inform and
              signs have an even tighter pixel pitch of 8 mm because curbside                                         re-direct motorists when one of its terminals was temporarily
                                                                                                                                          closed overnight for emergency power
                                                                                                                                          infrastructure upgrades. “We avoided having
                                                                                                                                          to set up temporary curbside or roadway
        Planning and Design | Program & Construction                                                              Management              signage,” says FLL’s Montefusco.
        Facilities Management | IT | Asset Management / IWMS                                                                                           More typically, staff use the digital
                                                                                                                                                    message boards to warn drivers about traffic
        Arora is proud                                                                                                                              congestion before they are stuck in the
        to be part of the                                                                                                                           middle of it. Bluetooth sensors installed on
        FLL Signage and                                                                                                                             the roadway by Horsepower Electric provide
                                                                                                                                                    operations personnel with traffic data. When
        Wayfinding Master
                                                                                                                                                    congestion is detected, personnel program
        Plan Team!                                                                                                                                  the message boards to alert drivers about
        PROJECT SCOPE:                                                                                                                              impending backups and suggest an alternate
           Dynamic Signage                                                                                                                         route. This allows drivers who are picking up
            Software Control                                                 LEARN MORE AT:                                                         passengers to arrange a new meeting spot.
           Software Integration with                             www.aroraengineers.com/project/fll-signage                                        “The boards can tell motorists that if they use
            the Airport Enterprise                                                                                                                  the suggested route, they will get through the
            Parking System
                                                                                                                                                    airport traffic faster because, for instance, one
           New Bluetooth Enabled
                                                                                                                                                    level may have a 30-minute delay while the
            Traffic Monitoring System
            for Heavy Traffic Alert                                                                                                                 other level has no traffic issues,” Hart explains.
           Display and Functionality                                                                                                                  Montefusco notes that the new message
            Specifications                                                                                                                          boards allow FLL to address evolving
           Installation Requirements                                                                                                               conditions much more quickly. When a
            and Testing Requirements
                                                                                                                                                    change was needed with the old system,
                                                                                                                                                    personnel had to create a work order, and
                                                                                                                                                    crewmembers would physically alter the signs
        aroraengineers.com | Rethinking Infrastructure |                                                 ®

                                                                                                                                                    from a bucket truck.
      Atlanta | Baltimore | Boston | Charlotte | Chicago | Dallas | Los Angeles | Nashville | New York | Philadelphia | St. Petersburg | San Jose

January | February 2021   AirportImprovement.com
WAYFINDING              FLL        19

  “Now, all of that work can be done in a minute or two, and
does not require anyone actually going out on the roadway
and disrupting traffic to change a sign,” she says. “It gives us
enormous flexibility.”

Supporting Elements
Engineers had to route electrical power
to many of the dynamic signs and some
of the new static signs. Benjamin Goebel,
of Gresham Smith, explains that this
process was time-consuming, but relatively
uncomplicated, because most of the sources
                                                  BENJAMIN GOEBEL
came directly from the terminals or power
points along the roadway. Routing data communication lines
to each of the new LED signs, however, was more challenging.
The project team opted against transmitting information to signs
                                                                               Curbside signs include airline logos
wirelessly because of the potential for hacking and because of                 for faster, easier recognition by
the propensity for severe weather in the area. Storms in southern              drivers and passengers.
Florida can wreak havoc with wireless communications, Hart and
Goebel note. “It all had to be hardwired,” says Goebel. “And in
some cases, we had to route all the way back to some of the main             garages, on exit doors and in baggage claim areas to keep
terminal buildings and then out thousands of feet to the new digital         passengers updated. Informational signage was posted two
and dynamic signage.”                                                        weeks before work began, and it remained up for two weeks after
                                                                             each floor was finished.
   Although the improved over-roadway signs are about the same
size as their predecessors, the new digital units are heavier than              The airport also repainted the parking structure interiors. “Each
the old static signs. As such, engineers had to make significant             floor is a different color,” explains Montefusco. “If a passenger
structural modifications to the existing supports to prevent the             doesn’t remember where they parked, they might remember
need for FLL to spend millions of dollars on
new structures. “Any time you have a design
solution that can save money, that’s great,”
remarks Park.
                                                                   SWEEP YOUR AIRFIELD
Better Wayfinding in Garages
One of the most challenging aspects of the
project was updating signage in the airport’s
                                                                   BETTER, FASTER, SAFER
                                                                       THE FOD*BOSS AIRFIELD SWEEPER IS THE CURE FOR
three parking garages. In total, crews installed                      FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT, GUARANTEED.
more than 4,800 signs (all static)—far more                  • Unbeatable performance                                        • Efficient and fast, up to 35 mph
volume than in other areas.                                  • Removes rocks, nuts & bolts, luggage                          • Works on all surfaces
                                                               hardware, and sand                                            • Low cost, portable, and reliable
   New signage, some illuminated, provides                   • No motors, vacuums, or magnets                                • Maintenance free
guests with additional guidance to elevators                 • Sweep widths 8', 16', & 24'                                   • 10 year guarantee
and terminals. A new, more linear numbering
system for rows helps them find their vehicles
when they return. Renumbering the rows
required a careful approach. “Replacing
signage took three months, so we had to
add temporary signs in all three garages that
explained the changes,” says Montefusco.
   Park notes that the project team took extra
care to inform visitors about future changes—
for instance, warning passengers that their
parking spots might be renumbered when they
returned after their trips.
  Wayfinding keys that outlined specific
changes were displayed throughout the                              Contact us to arrange a demonstration and see for yourself what makes our sweeper
                                                                        truly exceptional at fodboss@aerosweep.com or visit www.fodboss.com
                                                                                     The FOD*BOSS system is subject to patents and or patent applications.

                                                                                                                                                AirportImprovement.com   January | February 2021
20        FLL            WAYFINDING

                                                                                    the color of the floor they are on along with the quadrant of the
                                                                                    parking garage.”
                                                                                      Beyond temporary signage, FLL used social media and its
                                                                                    website to forewarn and alert the public about changes in its
                                                                                    parking garages; but some guests still had trouble finding their
                                                                                    vehicles. When that happened, airport and parking personnel often
                                                                                    used the garages’ license plate recognition system to help them.

                                                                                    Widespread Enhancements
                                                                                    Reflecting on the project, Park from Gresham Smith details several
                                                                                    improvements at FLL: It’s easier for motorists to get to the airport;
                                                                                    it’s easier for passengers leaving the terminals to find ground
                                                                                    transportation; and it’s easier for drivers to navigate parking at
                                                                                    the airport.
                                                                                       “We cleaned it up quite a bit,” he says. “They had a mishmash
                                                                                    of different signage aesthetics. The logic is better now in terms of
                                                                                    when information is presented to the customer. In addition, there
                                                                                    are fewer signs along the curbside. Airports tend to add many
                                                                                    signs over the years, and we were able to clean that up and
                                                                                    reduce the visual clutter.”
                                                   Graphic consistency is key for
                                                   wayfinding cues and signage.       Marc Gambrill, FLL’s aviation chief development officer and
                                                                                    assistant director of aviation for capital development, emphasizes

January | February 2021   AirportImprovement.com
WAYFINDING                FLL        21

the value of developing a master plan—and resisting
the inevitable temptation to tinker with it after it is                        New signs help
                                                                               passengers find
approved. “It is very important so everyone knows what
                                                                               various ground
you are working on,” he says. “Once you have a plan,                           transportation
the executives and the organization have to stick with                         options.
the plan and move forward with it and not modify it as
you go.”
  The project team also consulted ACRP Report 52,        MARC GAMBRILL
Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals
and Landside. “It gave us guidance on best practices,” he adds.
   Montefusco says that the project improves FLL in a variety of ways: The
new digital roadway signs clearly identify airline and terminal locations;
curbside signs reinforce airline locations and direct passengers to the best
terminal door for ticketing; and the new color-coding system and more
plentiful, brighter signs with larger fonts in the parking garages make it
easier for customers to find their vehicles.
   Like so many other projects, installing the new signage occurred while
the facility was open and serving customers. “We had to keep reminding
the team that FLL is an operational facility and that every moment counts
for the passenger,” Montefusco recalls. “You can’t just take down a sign
and not put another one up. You should at least have a temporary signage
plan to guide the passenger through.”

 ROADWAY                                                    CURBSIDE                             CONCOURSE
                                   DAKTRONICS.COM/AIRPORTS

                                                                                                   AirportImprovement.com   January | February 2021
22 CVG                   TECHNOLOGY

       Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Int’l
       Leverages Innovation                                                          BY THOMAS J. SMITH

                     Stroll through Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International      In short, innovation is part of CVG’s brand. And having a chief
                     Airport (CVG) and you might encounter a machine without     innovation officer on its organizational chart demonstrates a
                     an operator scrubbing the floors, a small cargo pod         commitment to the approach.
         dutifully rolling behind an employee as if by magic, and any number
                                                                                    Standing still or maintaining the status quo is not acceptable,
         of other tech-forward devices hard at work.
                                                                                 explains Cobb. Instead, the airport emphasizes improving on
           Why the emphasis on futuristic innovations? To build a                what it did yesterday. “If that involves technology, you can call it
         compelling brand experience that keeps passengers coming back.          innovation,” he comments. “But it is really about how you propel
                                                                                 your brand forward.”
             “Unlike anywhere else in the U.S., CVG is
         surrounded by five other competing airports                                He describes innovation as a combination of
         all within a 60- to 90-minute drive,” explains                          talent, technology and change management.
         Brian Cobb, CVG’s chief innovation officer.
                                                                                    “The aviation industry is full of innovative
         “Consumers in this drive-centric geography
                                                                                 approaches,” says Chief Executive Officer
         have choices about which airport they will
                                                                                 Candace McGraw. “At CVG, we are
         use. You need to create a fandom approach
                                                                                 strategically positioning our airport for the
         so that decision moves away from utilitarian to
                                                            BRIAN COBB           future by leaning into new ways of thinking
         trust and a love of the product. If consistent,
                                                                                 and advancing technologies. By doing this,          CANDACE MCGRAW
         just as in sports, fans will come back year after year.”

January | February 2021   AirportImprovement.com
TECHNOLOGY               CVG         23

we establish partnerships and test              traditional vending machine would require       options because many concessions
technology in a live airport environment,       10 times that space to store a similar          remain closed or are open for very limited
all to enhance the airport experience           number of filled plastic or glass bottles.      hours; but there are fewer passengers to
for travelers, business partners and the                                                        support the concessions that are open.
                                                   CVG is also working with PathWater,
community.”
                                                a firm that sells purified water in reusable       That all-too-common dichotomy is
  To do so, Cobb and his staff leverage         aluminum bottles. The company, also from        prompting Cobb to search for ways to help
their annual budget to research and test        California, plans to sell its bottled water     concession operators reengage—perhaps
a wide range of developing products and         via existing concessionaires and vending        by matching their schedules and locations
services. Together, they assess MVPS            machines; but the coronavirus pandemic          to the airlines’ arrival and departure
(minimum viable product status); and if         is hampering its rollout.                       schedules in near real-time. “We need to
test results demonstrate enough potential,                                                      be more intelligent on what the consumer is
                                                   “Right now, the retailers are trying
the team develops revenue strategies to                                                         doing and spending,” he muses.
                                                to figure out how to survive rather than
pay for full deployment.
                                                bringing on new product concepts,”
   The airport is also a member of              says Cobb. “When they are ready to
Cintrifuse, a technology business               re-open and are looking to improve their
incubator supported by the area’s               product offerings, this one speaks to the
Fortune 500 companies, universities, local      sustainability elements.”
governments and small businesses.
                                                   He hopes PathWater will be available at
                                                CVG by this spring. The airport does not
H2Oh Cool                                       have a master concessionaire to run new
Sustainability and enhancing the customer       products through. Instead, HMS Host and
experience are two key elements Cobb’s          Paradies Lagardère manage and lease
team considers when looking for ways            retail and food/beverage spaces.
to diversify concessions. The September
                                                                                                Housekeeping workers receive messages on
arrival of two Drop Water vending               Service, Will Robinson                          smart watches when restrooms need service.
machines, one in each concourse,                Robotic ventures are another main
checked both boxes. The self-service
machines dispense plain, flavored and/or
                                                category for Cobb and his cohorts. In late      Date-Driven Approach
                                                fall, they began a 12-week trial of gita, a     CVG uses information from a variety of
caffeinated water into a customer’s own         2-foot tall “personal robot” designed and       sources to gain insight about customers’
reusable bottle or a cardboard “bottle”         manufactured by Piaggio Fast Forward.           spending habits.
from inside the machine. Cobb likens the        Airport personnel have been testing gita’s
vending units to Coca-Cola Freestyle®                                                              In fact, it was the first U.S. airport
                                                ability to carry passengers’ items from the
machines found in quick-serve restaurants                                                       to deploy Bluetooth and Wi-Fi “sniffer”
                                                security checkpoint to the gate area. Cobb
and convenience stores.                                                                         sensors. CVG originally installed the
                                                also sees the potential for the droid-like
                                                                                                sensors at its security checkpoint to collect
    “It is a fun-to-use machine,” he says       unit to deliver food orders to passengers
                                                                                                real-time information about wait-times,
of the mix-and-match options it offers          already at the gates.
                                                                                                which was used to guide decisions about
customers. “And it is clearly a sustainable        “We are using the [pandemic] slowdown        reallocating staff resources to reduce wait-
approach.”                                      as an opportunity to deploy new                 times. Later, it added additional sensors
  Regarding sustainability features,            products,” Cobb explains. “Passengers           throughout the facility to collect information
the company’s patented cardboard                will see all the differences and see that we    about travelers’ traffic patterns.
containers can be reused before                 used the time wisely.”
                                                                                                   CVG also participates in the Airport
beginning to deteriorate, and then they’re         In November, CVG served about 5,000          Service Quality program, administered
recyclable or compostable. Moreover, the        travelers per day—roughly 40% its usual         by the Airports Council International, to
vending machines filter the airport’s tap       volume.                                         receive immediate feedback from travelers
water, so the Silicon Valley startup does
                                                  Currently, the challenge is determining       as they complete iPad surveys at the
not transport it in vehicles that burn diesel
                                                how to best serve travelers and the             gate. The airport has also gathered data
fuel and produce emissions.
                                                concession tenants.                             through online surveys in the past.
  “We really think this is the future of
                                                   “In this COVID era, travelers go through       And completing the tech loop, CVG’s
bottled drinks,” says Drop Water Chief
                                                screening and head immediately to their         restrooms are equipped with sensors that
Executive Officer Scott Edwards.
                                                gate and do not leave it,” says Cobb,           count the number of guests using each
    From a footprint perspective (critical      noting that this behavior is taking a toll on   particular facility. Housekeepers wear
for most airports), each of the company’s       retail and food/beverage sales.                 Samsung Gear Watches, enabled with
vending machines holds more than                                                                TaskWatch technology, that alert them
                                                  He considers the situation a doubled-
1,000 of its empty cardboard bottles. A                                                         when a restroom needs to be serviced.
                                                edged sword. Passengers have fewer

                                                                                                                   AirportImprovement.com   January | February 2021
24 CVG                   TECHNOLOGY

        Innovations Making the Grade
        Here is a sampling of the innovations         without flavoring (there are six options)
        that are currently in the works or already    and/or caffeine (three concentration
        deployed at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky      levels). Customers also decide whether to
        International Airport (CVG).                  dispense the water into their own refillable
                                                      bottles or 16-ounce cardboard containers
        Product: Sustainable water vending
                                                      from the machine.
        machines
        Company: Drop Water                             Plain water dispensed into a customer’s
        Hometown: Redwood City, CA                    bottle is free, and adding flavoring costs
        Status at CVG: On site since fall 2019        $1. Plain water dispensed into a Drop
                                                      Water container costs $2, with prices
           When Drop Water installed two of its
                                                      ranging up to $3.45 for flavoring and three
        vending machines at CVG last fall, it was a
                                                      caffeine shots.
        homecoming of sorts. The company originally
        connected with the airport in 2018 after        Customers using the company’s app            tested its machines for six months at San
        winning a $25,000 grant at an international   can order and pay for drinks without           Francisco International Airport (SFO) in late
        event sponsored by a technology business      touching the vending machine—a feature         2019 and in November 2019 installed its
        incubator that CVG supports.                  that has become more popular during the        first permanent vending machines in San
                                                      coronavirus pandemic.                          Jose International Airport (SJC). Company
          Drop Water vending machines filter
        the airport’s tap water and dispense it         CVG is the second U.S. airport to offer      officials are currently negotiating to bring
        chilled or at room temperature, with or       customers Drop Water beverages. The firm       its water machines back into SFO.

                                                                                  •
                                                                                  •

                                                                                  •

                                                                                  •

                                                                                  •
                                                                                  •
                                                                                  •

                                                                                  Harry J. Mason | 312.771.0094 |

January | February 2021   AirportImprovement.com
TECHNOLOGY               CVG         25

Product: Neo, an autonomous                   ranked by SkyTrax), CVG is currently the
floor cleaner                                 only U.S. airport with a Neo.
Company: Avidbots
                                                The machine can clean 40,000 square
Hometown: Kitchener, ON
                                              feet per hour, and a battery pack powers
Status at CVG: Deployed in
                                              the floor scrubber for six hours. Its
January 2020
                                              112-liter water tank also lasts six hours in
   Neo, an autonomous commercial              most cleaning situations. At CVG, Neo is
floor scrubber from Avidbots, has been        deployed around-the-clock.
operating full-time at CVG for more than
                                                Before its first mission, the robot was
one year. The airport tested the device
                                              programed with a map of the airport’s
for two months before putting it into
                                              concourses; but it also “teaches itself” to
operation. Since its arrival at CVG, Neo
                                              navigate around anything new in its path.
has cleaned more than 5 million square
                                              For instance, Neo will stop and adjust if it
feet of flooring.
                                              encounters unexpected objects or people.
   The machine applies a solution of soap
                                                 The unit also alerts the housekeeping
and water, scrubs the floor with cleaning
                                              staff when it approaches sensitive objects
disks and then vacuums up the dirty
                                              such as museum pieces on display at the
water to leave the floor dry—all without an
                                              airport. Personnel then switch it to manual
operator.
                                              mode to clean floors in that area.
   Although Avidbots has its equipment
                                                Because the machine has optical
in five of the world’s top 10 airports (as
                                              sensors and cameras to “see,” it can

    PROVIDING A FULL CONTINUUM OF INNOVATIVE AVIATION SERVICES TO RESTORE AND ENHANCE OUR NATION’S INFRASTRUCTURE

   Runway 16/34 Rehabilitation
   Westchester County Airport

                                                                                                       MBAKERINTL.COM

                                                                                             AirportImprovement.com   January | February 2021
26 CVG                   TECHNOLOGY

            clean around passengers’ luggage. In the
            future, Neo may even be programmed to
            alert security about unattended baggage.
               Cobb, notes that CVG’s robot floor
            scrubber is especially valuable during the
            coronavirus pandemic because it shows
            travelers that the airport cleans and
            sanitizes throughout the day—not just
            at night.
               Neo also cleans floors in a minimally
            intrusive manner and frees up
            housekeeping staff to devote more time to
            other cleaning and sanitizing duties, adds
            Jeff Schrantz, vice president of global
            sales for Avidbots.
               Currently, CVG has one Neo machine in
            operation, which it purchased with capital
            funds rather than operating revenue. The
            airport is considering leasing a second
            unit when passenger traffic, and the
            associated grime, pick up.
                                                         Product: gita, a personal cargo-carrying robot
                                                         Company: Piaggio Fast Forward
                                                         Hometown: Boston
                                                         Status at CVG: Ongoing pilot
                                                                                 Argus_VR_Print_AdR4.pdf 2 7/13/20 1:52 PM

                                                                            Manage your smart facilities at SAIM.com

                                                                 C

                                                                 M

                                                                 Y

                                                                 CM

                                                                                                       standard for
                                                                 MY

                                                                 CY

                                                                 CMY

                                                                 j

January | February 2021   AirportImprovement.com
TECHNOLOGY              CVG         27

   Late last fall, CVG began a 12-week                                                                                                                                                        During CVG’s proof-of-concept                   Cobb foresees two possible roles for
trial of gita (pronounced JEE’-tah), a                                                                                                                                                     pilot, staff had the personal robot carry       gita at CVG: helping passengers with their
personal robot that carries luggage                                                                                                                                                        materials for meetings around the               carry-on items between the TSA checkpoint
and other items up to 40 pounds. One                                                                                                                                                       concourse so travelers could see it in          and gate area; and picking up food orders
reviewer described the 2-foot-tall machine                                                                                                                                                 action; and response was enthusiastic.          from concessionaires and delivering them to
as a “cargo-carrying droid.”                                                                                                                                                               In fact, 90% of airport guests who were         passengers already at the gates.
                                                                                                                                                                                           surveyed said they would use gita and
   While CVG is the first airport to test the                                                                                                                                                                                                Toward that end, Lynn notes that gita
                                                                                                                                                                                           wished it were already in service.
product, individual owners and planned                                                                                                                                                                                                     was designed so a large suitcase can
communities in the U.S. and Europe are                                                                                                                                                        Before the COVID-19 pandemic,                stand on end in its cargo area.
already using gita to carry groceries,                                                                                                                                                     CVG reached out to at least five robot
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Cobb envisions the fee for luggage
shopping bags and other parcels. Piaggio                                                                                                                                                   companies seeking a pilot program at the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           transport at $10 to $15 for a 30-minute
Fast Forward sells gita online directly to                                                                                                                                                 airport. “We see this as a growth strategy,”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           block of time. CVG could also add a
consumers for $3,250.                                                                                                                                                                      Cobb explains, adding that he was
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           surcharge for food deliveries by gita,
                                                                                                                                                                                           surprised how quickly Piaggio Fast Forward
   Greg Lynn, the company’s chief                                                                                                                                                                                                          much as street side restaurants add a fee
                                                                                                                                                                                           arranged an onsite trial.
executive officer, explains that gita uses                                                                                                                                                                                                 for Door Dash or Uber Eats delivery.
optical scanners to pair with and follow                                                                                                                                                      “We have had a lot of requests from
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Likely customers would be aging
its operator. “It understands who it is to                                                                                                                                                 other airports to have gita run things to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           travelers and parents with small children.
follow and never takes its sensors off the                                                                                                                                                 the planes or work behind the scenes…
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           “If it works with these demographics, then
person as it is following them,” he relates.                                                                                                                                               but they were not a good fit,” Lynn
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           it can be used by any,” says Cobb.
“Our core business is to understand the                                                                                                                                                    comments. “CVG was the first airport
pedestrian environment. It is not like an                                                                                                                                                  with a vision of helping people to be more         Piaggio Fast Forward designs and
industrial robot that you have to map                                                                                                                                                      efficient rather than replacing people.”        builds gita in Boston, but the firm is
everything [for].”                                                                                                                                                                                                                         affiliated with the Italian manufacturer of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Vespa scooters.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Sustainability. Resiliency.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Helping clients prosper.
        IS YOUR BUSINESS IMAGE
       EVERYTHING IT COULD BE?                                                                                                                                                                                               Guided by these principles, we’ll keep
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             your airport soaring. Learn more at
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             rsandh.com/aviation.

                                                                                                                                                  Difference
                                                                                          r                      The Cyclone
                                                     ener, Cleane
                           Faster, Gre
                                                                                                                                  e-tipped spray
                                                                                                                      24 sapphir
                                                                                                        head, up to                          with
                                                                                           the Cyclone                          the surface
                                                                    Faster! Withind to high speed rotating arms, blast          mph – equival
                                                                                                                                                 ent to a
                                                                    nozzles, mounte                              vortex at 140                s removed,
                                                                                                  in a swirling               , and deposit
                                                                                 pressure water              is being cleaned
                                                                     ultra-high                 the surface                                  water –
                                                                                  cyclone. As                                  s the waste
                                                                     category 4                       simulta neously recover
                                                                                  atented Cyclone
                                                                      the multi-p
                                                                                         .
                                                                       with no vacuum
                                                                                                                                               up to
                                                                                                                             design utilizes
                                                                                                                  advanced                       95% of
                                                                                                   Technology’s                    ption while
                                                                        Greener! Cyclonewith 20% lower fuel consum              waste tank
                                                                                                                                             separates
                                                                                           water                     on-board
                                                                         50% less fresh              instantly. The                                  process
                                                                                       is recovered                               liner. The entire
                                                                         wastewater                              biodegradable
                                                                                                   160 micron
                                                                                       through a
                                                                          solid waste                    chemicals!
                                                                                             water – no
                                                                           uses only fresh
                                                                                                                                    e water blasting
                                               After. CY210
                                                               is                                                         gh pressur
                                    Before and
                                                  illustration.                         combin           ation of ultra-hig           while causing
                                    shown in this                          Cleaner! Thevortex provides exceptional cleanin
                                                                           with the Cyclone           .
                                                                                     e to your surface
                                                                           no damag

                                                                                                                                                      CY210                   requiring
                                                                                                                                                               ind for areas        with
                                                                                                                                                      Walk-Beh       rability; used
                                                                                                                                                      more maneuve other trailers that
                                                                                                                                                                  or
                                                                                                                                                      the TR5500 ents.
                                                                                                                                                      meet requirem

           Becker 505 specializes in marketing and design for the
           aviation industry. Let us create your corporate identity,                            TR5500
                                                                                                When used
                                                                                                for small jobs
                                                                                                               and hard
                                                                                                                        to
                                                                                                                           it’s ideal
                                                                                                            with the CY210reach areas.

                                                                                                                                                                                           1/16/15
                                                                                                                                                                                                     4:31 PM

          advertisements and marketing campaigns so you can get
                                PerviousAd
                                          _V5.indd
                                                     2

            back to what you do best — running your business!

             CALL OR EMAIL US TODAY FOR A FREE QUOTE AND CONSULTATION
                 INFO@BECKER505.COM | 608.205.2788 | BECKER505.COM

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              AirportImprovement.com   January | February 2021
You can also read