b'TERMINALSORD 19It was incredibly complex in terms of phasing, Masri says. There reallyThe new baggage system improves screening, sorting, was a big emphasis on making sure wethroughput and energy efficiency. got the phasing correct, but also in the communication of all the phasing involved.Unfortunately, the project was awarded in early 2020, right when the industry began shutting down from COVID.It caused us a lot of problems from a supply chain perspective and from an available workforce perspective in terms of getting people to Chicago, he recalls. We had to act deliberately to make sure we got the right people on site.Vanderlande also worked closely with Ornelas Construction to add local personnel during certain phases. The new system can process more than 2,000 bags per hour and has automated storage for more than 680 early bags. Conveyors that feed the higher speed machines are above and beyond what was previously at T5, Masri notes.In addition, Vanderlande designed the system with the latest generation of motors Movigear permanent magnet motors from SEW. Theres no comparison in terms of energy savings and efficiencies, says Masri. Power was at a premium, so the city very wisely accepted our offer to add that more efficient drive to the system. It came at a cost, but the payback is there.Crews did encounter some surprises during the design-build project. For instance, workers found thousands of conduits above the ceiling they were replacing.No one knew what was in those conduits, Masri recalls. Hartmann Electric tagged, traced and identified what was in every single one of those pipes. It could have been a critical fiber optic data run to an airline reservation system, or it could have been a wire going to the Burger King upstairs. And there are implications for all those businesses. It was a painstaking process, but other airports should know its not impossible to do that.AirportImprovement.comSeptember 2023'