ACRP IdeaHub Ideas

The objective of this research project is to provide U.S. airport operators with guidance regarding the potential roles "virtual" ATCTs and ramp control towers can play at their facilities, and their major components and supporting technologies, and the advantages and disadvantages of these virtual facilities relative to their traditional counterparts.
The project also will provide guidance regarding how airport operators,... more »

Further guidance on how to approach the design of airport infrastructure that is more resilient to climatic change is required. Efforts are underway both nationally and internationally to address identification of vulnerabilities and incorporating into planning documents; but there remains a gap in procedures to evaluate and determine design criteria for engineers and architects that may be more readily endorsed by funding... more »

Airports are increasingly interested in bringing multi-disciplines together in a common environment to improve collaborative decision making during regular and irregular operations. Guidance on how to plan and design for these centers is needed.

Should an airport be run by the City, an Authority, in partnership with a Private party (PPP) or totally privatized (European model). What will be the best option for the airport?

How can airports set up incubators unit to create a space for innovators to solve airport problems based on challenges placed on them from different departments? Then, using the resulting solution, partner (in terms of equity) with the innovators. Help them form companies that the airport can partner with. Then market to other airports.

Accurate predictions of the noise environment in communities surrounding airports and spaceports from launch and reentry vehicle operations require models that have been validated over a range of vehicle types, operations, and atmospheric conditions. Research is needed to validate the commercial space operations noise models developed under ACRP 02-66 using the community noise measurement database collected under ACRP... more »

Guidance on holisitic master planning that goes beyond just future

facility and infrastructure that includes the sub categories such as IT,

Operations, Security and Maintenance as examples. It would also provide guidance on how to develop a "plan" for the ancillary operating areas and how important components may be rolled into a true master plan

This Guidebook would detail what it takes to stand up a full IT Security

and Compliance program at an airport.

The proposed research project would evaluate carbon removal strategies that could be deployed at airports to help achieve "Net Zero Emissions" in order to align with global emission reduction targets and to address increasing public scrutiny. Carbon removal strategies include both natural (e.g., tree plantings and agricultural soil management) and technological approaches (e.g., carbon-absorbing concrete and direct air... more »

New U.S. Department of Defense programs offer funding for resilience upgrades in communities that neighbor military installations. This project would review resilience partnership strategies for the more than 70 civilian airports that are co-located with Air National Guard units.

Research suggest that aviation management was not the original major for many students enrolled in a collegiate aviation program. What influenced their switch? The proposed research is designed to collect, organize, and assess the historical and current general demographic characteristics of students enrolled in two- and four-year collegiate aviation management programs as well those of recent graduates. Early and current... more »

Sustainability and environmental mitigation are rapidly being incorporated into construction efforts at airports to mitigate and offset environmental impacts such as air emissions, water quality issues, etc. Naturally, every airport and their associated construction efforts and ability to incorporate sustainability vary on multiple fronts. This effort would provide a synthesis of construction sustainability and environmental... more »

ACRP Synthesis 11-03/Topic S01-21 (The Benefits of Airport Arts Programs) provides an exhaustive analysis of current practices related to airport arts programs; the Synthesis identifies many tools that airports use to govern such programs and to manage them efficiently and economically. It was, however, beyond the scope of Synthesis 11-03/Topic S01-21 to provide an in depth analysis of precisely how these tools are used... more »

ACRP Report 157 (Improving the Airport Customer Experience)(2017) found that airport arts programs play an important role in improving the customer experience at airports and that airports with such arts programs are among the most highly rated airports in the world. ACRP Synthesis 11-03/Topic S01-21 (The Benefits of Airport Arts Programs) surveyed and synthesized the the state of practice of airport rotating visual art... more »

Develop guidance and best practices that will inform capital asset and new/replacement/renewal project managers on how to ensure that maintenance departments are capable of properly maintaining the assets and immediately assuming responsibility for them after project completion/turnover. These recommendations will focus on the accurate, effective, and timely development and delivery of capital project assets and asset... more »