• Guidelines to address water resource issues affecting airport capacity enhancement planning
COLUMBUS, OH, July 20, 2009 -- Gresham, Smith and Partners, a leading national architecture, engineering, environmental and planning firm is pleased to announce it has been awarded a contract from the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), a research program managed by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies and sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to develop an Aviation industry handbook entitled "Water Resource Issues Affecting Airport Capacity Enhancement Planning." As air travel continues to evolve, many airports are faced with the need to enhance capacity. This handbook aims to provide airport operators and planners with guidance in recognizing potential impacts that capacity enhancement activities may have on water resources while balancing business concerns and environmental protection.
The handbook will be developed in two phases and will serve to support three main objectives:
• Identify issues and requirements related to water resources (including quality and quantity, wetlands and groundwater) that may affect the environmental review process linked to airport capacity improvements;
• Describe potential effects of not adequately addressing these issues and requirements; and
• Develop strategies airports can employ to implement improvements in a timely and cost-effective manner while protecting water resources.
"In recent years, the importance and difficulty associated with water resource permitting has elevated water resources to one of the top issues affecting airports," stated Tim Arendt, Gresham, Smith and Partners. "Specifically, guidance is needed that identifies more effective alternative means to efficiently manage water resource issues directly and indirectly associated with capacity modifications. Our multi-disciplined expertise and understanding of water resources, environmental regulations and airport enhancement design and planning allows us to provide a team uniquely qualified to evaluate these issues from a variety of viewpoints. We look forward to working with the ACRP to develop a handbook which will provide this much needed guidance."
This contract is being managed by Gresham, Smith and Partners with consulting support from Ricondo & Associates Inc. and Synergy Consultants. The handbook is anticipated to be completed by June 2010.
Gresham, Smith and Partners is currently working with the ACRP to develop wayfinding and signage guidelines for airport terminal and landside use aimed at providing a consistent methodology that can be implemented nationwide to provide passengers with safe and efficient wayfinding systems at airports throughout the country. The firm was recently awarded a contract from the ACRP to develop a Guidebook for Improving Environmental Performance at Small Airports. The guidebook will provide airport managers at smaller facilities who have limited resources and staffing, practical approaches and guidance for maintaining compliant operations and future environmental initiatives applicable to their situations. Additionally, GS&P was part of a team of aviation industry leaders that collaborated to develop a Best Management Practices Guidance Document for Deicer Management that was published by the ACRP and made available to the U.S. aviation industry earlier this year.
Gresham, Smith and Partners provides design and consulting solutions for the built environment that contribute to the success of national and international clients.
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