BACKGROUND

There is increasing attention to and awareness of “green” and “sustainable” initiatives in design and construction, not only in commercial and residential properties, but in airport improvements as well. There is widespread belief that incorporating these initiatives into projects may have higher initial costs, but there is little knowledge as to what the benefits may be. In some cases, lack of understanding and perception of increased costs has inhibited the implementation of these concepts and technologies into traditional (i.e., those projects not planned and designed with sustainability in mind) airport projects Airport decision makers need to have a better understanding of the social, economic, and environmental benefits of incorporating sustainable design concepts and technologies into projects. They also need a process to evaluate and determine achievable, sustainable design concepts and technology alternatives that can be incorporated into traditional projects. As such, research is needed to develop a process for evaluating sustainable design concepts and technology alternatives in the planning and design phases of airport project development.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to develop a guidebook that airports can use to assist them in evaluating sustainable design and technology alternatives during the planning and design phases of airport project development.


STATUS: This has been published as Report  80:  Guidebook for Incorporating Sustainability into Traditional Airport Projects, and a CD-ROM with an Evaluation Tool.