AECOM recently presented at the 2014 Airport Exchange conference, which was delivered in partnership by Airports Council International (ACI) Europe and ACI Asia-Pacific.  The event was held in Paris and focused on the theme “Best in Class Airports: Learn from the best to be the best,” with AECOM participating as part of the “Airport Development and Environment” program.

AECOM was represented by Kevin Fuhr, senior project manager, who presented on the new Runway 10C-28C at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, which recently received a 2014 Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies.

Fuhr’s presentation and panel discussion, which was part of the “Best in Class Case Studies: Striking the balance between new development, sustainability and capacity demand — outside of Europe” session, described the challenges of the runway’s design, highlighted the runway’s sustainable project elements and detailed the complexities of phasing the construction to minimize the impact to the airport’s on-going operations.

“It was a great pleasure to share with so many esteemed colleagues how our team was able to achieve a successful project that not only met the client’s needs, but also developed designs that were both cost effective and environmentally conscious,” said Fuhr.  “Runway 10C-28C incorporated sustainable elements throughout all aspects of the project, such as utilizing a balanced earthwork plan, use of recycled crushed concrete and installation of the first low-voltage Approach Lighting System in the United States.”

AECOM provided lead engineering services for the design and construction of the new Runway 10C-28C and associated taxiways as the managing partner of the O’Hare Airfield Engineers Joint Venture — which comprises fellow member firms Jacobs, Milhouse Engineering & Construction and Delta Engineering Group.  With a total project budget of US$1.3 billion, the new Runway 10C-28C project permanently transformed O’Hare to a more-efficient, parallel runway system while reducing delays and increasing capacity.  According to the Chicago Department of Aviation, the new runway’s opening created nearly a US$4-billion economic impact, generating over 1,000 construction and professional services jobs annually during its eight-year span, and establishing nearly 50,000 permanent jobs.

“It was an honor to be invited to participate in the 2014 Airport Exchange conference, which brought together many leading experts in the aviation industry from Europe and the Asia-Pacific region,” said AECOM’s Global Aviation Sector Leader Loren Smith.  “The conference offered AECOM the opportunity to share our own project experiences as well as a global platform to have a discussion about best practices and emerging trends in aviation.”

About AECOM

With nearly 100,000 employees — including architects, engineers, designers, planners, scientists and management and construction services professionals — serving clients in more than 150 countries around the world following the acquisition of URS, AECOM is a premier, fully integrated infrastructure and support services firm.  AECOM is ranked as the #1 engineering design firm by revenue in Engineering News-Record magazine’s annual industry rankings.  The company is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, oil and gas, water, high-rise buildings and government.  AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural and social environments.  A Fortune 500 company, AECOM companies, including URS Corporation and Hunt Construction Group, had revenue of approximately $19.5 billion during …