b'RUNWAYS DFW29At DFW, the inboard runways, 17C and 17L, also serve asIn addition to dividing the end-around taxiway project into primary departure runways. This makes the airport well suitedthree phases, planners synchronized some portions of it with the for end-around taxiways, because aircraft no longer have to waitairports other concurrent construction. For example, crews were in to cross active runways. The end result is decreased operatingthe processing of rehabilitating Runway 17C-35C at the time. We costs for airlines, environmental benefits and increased passengerfocused on building a section of that project while the runway was satisfaction due to reduced travel time. Airport officials estimatedown because we were penetrating surfaces, Pettyjohn explains. that taxi times are reduced by an average of four minutes as eachA road for aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles was realigned aircraft moves from the gate to the runway or runway to gate. to remove curves and reduce response time; and the in-ground collection basin for a glycol facility was relocated about 150 feet to What and When the east to make room for the taxiway alignment.As an integral part of DFWs overall infrastructure capital plan, the recently completed end-around taxiway project included severalPhasing for the drainage portion of the components: project was challenging because one of thetaxiway construction and realignment,primary requirements was to ensure the improvements to road for aircraft rescue and firefightingproject would result in net-zero in flow-rate vehicles,and velocity at each of the impacted outfalls.asphalt shoulder construction,We had to ensure that whatever workdrainage improvements on the taxiway perimeter,DFW was doing, water was released at thea jet blast fence,same flow rate or reduced flow rate, saysAL CELESTAIN upgraded airfield lighting and signals, andAl Celestain, primary designer with Jacobs.an end-around taxi screen.Engineers consequently specified orifice plates in the underground structures and energy dissipators at existing structures to Officials at DFW first considered an end- decrease flow and velocity at the downstream outfalls. The plates around taxiway in the early 1990s. At thatand dissipators act as a shield to reduce the flowrate and velocity time, they recognized that traffic wouldat the impacted outfalls, Celestain explains.continue to increase at the growing airport, and they wanted to ensure the airfield was operating as safely and as efficiently as possible, explains Assistant Vice President of Planning Dillon Pettyjohn.DILLON PETTYJOHNIn the early 2000s, DFW constructed a southeast end-around taxiway, which quickly demonstrated benefits from an operational safety perspective. Before the northeast end-around was in place, we saw substantial differences in the number of runway crossings as well as runway throughput from those departures when we were in south flow, which is when we were using that southeast end-around, says Pettyjohn. It validated what the planners had worked through and modeled.Complicated Undertaking Providing Solutions to Because of the complexities and rewards involved with a projectImprove Airport Safety & like this, DFW wanted to sequence work in a way that not onlyReduce Noise Since 1957 minimized impact to operations, but also yielded benefits as soonDallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)as possible. Phasing this into multiple construction packages was our best solution, Pettyjohn remarks. Jacobs Engineering, construction contractor Austin Bridge and Road, and other key project partners collaborated on the plan, and Jet Blast DeflectorsGround Run-up Enclosureswork was divided into three phases. Planners used the phrases Blast WallsEnd Around Taxiway Visual Screensinner loop and outer loop in reference to the taxiway system.Phase One concentrated work in between runways 17R End Around Taxiway Visual Screenand 17C. Taxiway M was extended, and, due to its interaction Jet Blast Deflectorswith 17C, it was completed while that runway was closed to Ground Run-up Enclosuresminimize operational impact. Phase One also included the partial Blast Wallsconstruction of Taxiway K and Taxiway EE, which was contained/fenced as landside construction to avoid impacting the airport operations area. www.blastdeflectors.comAirportImprovement.comNovember | December 2022'