The Federal Aviation Administration recently selected a sustainable design for new air traffic control towers for municipal and smaller airports.
The design, developed by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism of New York, "meets key sustainability requirements," according to an April 20 news release. The design allows allows for tower height adjustments for each airport's traffic and sight line requirements, in addition to reducing construction and operational costs.
"These new air traffic control towers will mean that smaller airports can handle more flights, more sustainably and more affordably," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the release. "I look forward to seeing this design go from the drawing board to construction sites across the country, helping our nation’s airports support more travelers, grow their local economies and prepare for the future of low-carbon aviation."
The design's key sustainability elements include all-electric building systems, materials and products made free of chemicals known to pose health risks, thermally efficient facades, high-recycled steel and metal content, renewable mass timber when usable and ground-source heating and cooling in some environments, the release reported.
FAA's design preferences also include standardized elements aimed at reducing construction and operational costs while also allowing for a given tower "be tailored to local climate and location issues such as very high and very low temperatures, wet and dry environments and high winds," the news release said.
The initial 31 control towers at candidate airports are expected to replace towers that have reached their intended design life, according to the release. Replacement towers are expected to be 60 to 119 feet tall.
FAA has set aside more than $500 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to pay for site evaluation, preparation and early construction activities, the release said. The first groundbreaking for these new towers could begin as soon as 2024.
FAA is dedicated to working to increase its sustainability efforts, the release said.
