Centerlines - January 2008 - (Page 27)

ENVIRONMENT and be in compliance with Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 2 emissions standards. Those which are not, can only be used on the project if retrofitted with particulate traps or oxidation catalysts. Greiter stressed that while low sulfur diesel fuel, and the one-time expense of retrofitting equipment with particulate emissions control devices will add to construction costs, they will definitely be offset by reusing existing materials. “The contractors will have the advantage of going into the job with cleaner equipment, which gives them a competitive advantage for any subsequent work they bid. More construction projects are requiring cleaner fuels and emissions control devices.” Though specifically designed for the O’Hare project, the OMP’s Andolino claims that the manual has become a recognized standard for large runway projects, although according to Chris Schaffner, a principal in the Green Engineer, a sustainable design consulting firm in Concord, Massachusetts, it doesn’t necessarily break new ground in all cases. “Many of the initiatives they are taking have been used in road construction, so it isn’t a long stretch to apply it to airports,” he said. “Energy efficiencies and storm water management would be the two main big picture goals, because runway projects involve massive amounts of land, and the runway lighting is going to be linked to the electrical power grid,” he said. “Then you want to look at the construction materials being used. Will they have a large amount of recycled content, and come mainly from the local area?” Asked if the manual is likely to apply additional costs to the project, Schaffner said that this might be very difficult to quantify, especially on as large a project as the OMP. “There may be additional costs, but there are also opportunities to develop cost reduction strategies, especially if you can apply them on a project-wide basis. But, if you are looking at individual buildings that might be involved, North detention basin pump station: crane lifting excavator into pump station structure hole you are probably looking at anywhere between zero and maybe a two percent cost increase.” But none of this is to say that the runway project is without its critics. Probably the leading one is Jack Saporito, executive director of the Alliance of Residents Concerning O’Hare, Inc. Headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois, the alliance EVEN THE ROOFS ARE GOING GREEN The O’Hare Modernization Program may claim bragging rights to another first in airport design: Some newly constructed buildings will be constructed with vegetated, or “green” roofs. Chicago, in fact, has been a leader in this leading design approach. By local government mandate, every new City of Chicago facility built must have a green roof, according to an OMP spokesman. The spokesman added that, to date, 300 gardens and green roofs, including 4 million square feet have been installed on both public and private buildings. Green roofs largely replace conventional, high maintenance roofing materials, by using hollow core, pre-cast concrete planks, which anchor a water-proof membrane, positioned and secured with a metal flashing that goes around the perimeter of the roof. On top of the liner will be an aeration net—a plastic grid which will contain the soil and plantings. Joel Saucedo, the OMP’s resident engineer, reported that the plants will be chosen for low maintenance and local climate compatibility. For now, the green roofs will be applied to a new vault on the airport’s south side, containing some of the airfield lighting control system for the runways and taxiways. That roof will be approximately 17,800 square feet. On the airport’s north side, a green roof will be installed on the canopy covering the new security guard booths, as well as the administration building to be constructed as part of a new air traffic control tower complex. “The administration building will have a 10,000 square foot green roof, which will result in some 20 percent greater energy efficiency than a conventional roof,” Saucedo explained. The largest green roof will be 175,000 square feet, which will be built onto one of the four buildings that will make up a newly constructed air cargo terminal. Two of the four buildings, in fact, will have green roofs. The OMP spokesman pointed out that although the design phase of the new western terminal has not commenced, it is “very safe to say that it will include some kind of green roof, although how it will be incorporated is not yet known.” While green roofs tend to have a more costly up-front investment, Saucedo reported that this is more than justified by their lower, long term maintenance costs, and energy efficiency. “They provide an excellent thermal barrier for the entire building envelope, and reduce heating and cooling costs,” he said. www.aci-na.org | CENTERLINES 27 http://www.aci-na.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Centerlines - January 2008

Contents President’s Message Canadian Airports Associates’ Corner Policy Center Regulatory Front On the Hill and On the Stump One on One: Dave Barger Revenue: The Concessions Awards Environment: O’Hare Expansion Passenger Focus: Houston Friendly Safety and Security: After Comair, What Next? Air Service Recruiting: Charleston’s Acquisition of AirTran On Management: Performance Benchmarking at DFW Now Underway Grand Opening Conference Previews and Reviews New Members Index of Advertisers/Advertiser.com Box Scores

Centerlines - January 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.