FAA Unveils New Sustainable ATC Tower Design
The design would be used to replace aging towers at 31 candidate airports.
New air traffic control towers built at municipal and smaller airports will feature recycled steel and ground-source heating and cooling. [Courtesy: FAA]
New air traffic control towers built at municipal and smaller airports will feature sustainable design elements, such as recycled steel and ground-source heating and cooling, according to the FAA.
Earlier this week, the agency announced it had selected a control tower design that allows for height to be adjusted based on airport traffic and sightline requirements.
The design would be used to replace existing towers at 31 candidate airports where towers "are functioning beyond their intended design life," FAA said.
Construction costs for the projects, which range from building towers 60 to 119 feet tall, would be offset by $500 million set aside by the agency, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, that would pay for site evaluation and preparation, as well as initial construction activities.
The FAA said the tower design incorporated key sustainability elements, including:
- All-electric building systems
- Materials and products free from chemicals known to pose health risks
- Thermally efficient façade
- High-recycled steel and metal products
- Renewable mass timber, when usable
- Ground-source heating and cooling in some environments.
“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 a statement. “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.”
It won't be long before the design can go from concept to a tower in action. The first groundbreaking could begin next year, FAA said.
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