ACRP IdeaHub Research Projects

The "touchless journey" results in significant changes that have been long-coming, but is now on an accelerated path resulting from the pandemic. Depending on the nature of the individual, new (especially technology) solutions bring both satisfaction and fear - all of which bring out a growing need for research and guidance on cultural and social behavioral shifts.

Perhaps one of the greatest untapped resources available for understanding the challenges of managing airports can be found among the many senior and retired airport leaders. There needs to be an opportunity to assemble the collective wisdom of these successful leaders and to share their insights and experiences gained during their careers.

The Concessions industry has evolved greatly over the past decade. The volume of ACDBE's, Concessionaires, and lines of business have grown significantly. Each Airport has developed programs differently. Understanding the economics of the Concessionaires (living wages, pricing models, operational costs, etc.) as well as Airports (pouring rights, leasing structures, CRDC's, etc.) is critical to Commercial Management.... more »

The research would develop a comprehensive guidance on concession agreement standards and terms. The new guidebook would update existing guidance and provides guidance on economic, operational and administrative issues not previously addressed.

Cold In-place Recycling (CIR) and Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) are two economically and environmentally friendly methods of rehabilitating asphalt pavements. While there is a brief mention of FDR in FAA AC 150/5370-10H and AC 150/5320-6F, it is quite limited and there is no mention of CIR, therefore, this project looks to provide comprehensive guidance as to when CIR and FDR can be used, the materials that can be used,... more »

Most U.S. airports do not have a complete understanding of the range of emotions their travelers experience at the airport. More research needs to be conducted to identify the sentiments expressed by passengers at different journey points and the root causes for why they feel the way they do. Once the root cause is identified, airports then must consider resolving any issues related to a negative emotion experience by... more »

Electric or Hydrogen aircraft could present long-term sustainable solutions for aviation, but will heavily depend on the ability of airports to coordinate and provide the infrastructure required for their operation. This research will look into such challenges and opportunities.

Recent data suggests that a 0.01% increase in passenger satisfaction results in an increased spend of $0.80 per passenger, while an additional 10 minutes spent in line, decreases that spend by 30%. Using available data to generate and push valuable information to the traveling public will optimize and help streamline the passenger travel experience, leading to increased passenger satisfaction, as well as increased airport... more »

This guide would provide information and perspective on airport opportunities for water reuse, at a time of renewed national focus and strategic initiatives supporting considerations and implementation of water reuse. This research would generate targeted information to help airports better understand the financial, environmental, and operational challenges and opportunities for water reuse.

Update and supplement ACRP Guidebooks 37 and 37A in terms of active airport APM systems (since the publication of those guidebooks in 2010) and incorporate best practices related to planning for, minimizing, and responding to viruses within the general context of the airport APM planning and implementation (Report 37) and airport APM operations and maintenance (Report 37A).

In the wake of recent events concerning passenger health and wellness, airports are searching for new standards of development to help ensure they are more averse to the risks and immediate fallout associated impending viral and bacterial outbreaks. Guidance on how to plan and design mechanical and electrical systems to address these concerns is at the forefront of the aviation industry. This idea develops a program to... more »

The objective of this research program is to develop a modeling tool to support the decision makers in evaluating both near-term and long-term practical solutions pertaining to possible changes in the security system and operation strategies at the airports around the nation given the new pandemic world.

ASTM in concert with the Society of Aircraft Performance and Operations Engineers recently published E3188 - Standard Terminology for Aircraft Braking Performance. Measuring the braking reports from flight crews trained with the new definitions are then mapped to runway conditions and aircraft measurements to create an objective metric for accuracy.

Wildlife Trafficking links wildlife trade and public health; and the COVID-19 pandemic is a prime example of how the transmission of disease that originated in wildlife could have a devastating impact on global public health. Additionally, wildlife trafficking is a serious worldwide crime which threatens security, economic prosperity, the rule of law, and conservation efforts.

Risk management professionals have acknowledged that the reduction of airport escalator speed eases the transitions on and off of the the escalator. No speed studies have been conducted on airport escalators to determine an optimal escalator speed in the airport environment.