b'42 HRL RUNWAYSHRL opened construction bids July 10 and hopes to startthe cab. Because the tower has some unique geometry, it created a construction Sept. 1. In preparation, crews performed a sitingbunch of headaches for our structural engineer, Sias says. study for the temporary remote tower. Although this is a standardChris Rhodes, RS&H structural engineer for the project, took preliminary step, FAA added a modern twist by contracting a virtualthe extra precaution of having a small-scale model of the tower reality siting so controllers could look through special goggles andrun through a wind tunnel testing facility in Colorado. Sias notes see what it would look like working from the mobile tower.that the extra testing helped optimize the design and reduced the Because controllers will operate out ofamount of steel that was specified. the remote tower for 18 to 24 months, theThe shift from the existing tower to the remote tower is project team also chose to move 100% of thescheduled to occur over several days in August. To ensure a towers nav aid equipment into the remotesmooth transition, one controller will operate in the mobile tower tower. Typically, mobile towers are outfittedwhile another works simultaneously in the old tower for a day with binoculars and radios because theyreor two. After the controllers are comfortable that all systems are meant to temporarily bridge a gap. Mostworking properly, they will switch exclusively to the remote tower of the time, in a remote tower, the air trafficNATHAN BOURGEOIS so crews can begin tearing down the existing tower.controllers dont have that much equipment, explains Nathan Bourgeois, division manager of Aviation ServicesIf we didnt have an option like these mobile towers, airports for Robinson Aviation. But, in this case, theyll be able to operatewould have to stop operations when they rebuild towers, at the same level and capacity theyre used to.notes Bourgeois. And nobody wants that to happen. He adds that with the number of upgrades happening at airports today, Technology was also leveraged to design the unusual structure,Robinson Aviation is proud to team up with the FAA to help which has a square base that transforms into a hexagon as it rises toairports stay operational and prevent disruptions. READY FOR TAKE OFF! CONTACT US TODAY!Scott Boos Dennis BraswellCALL: (813) 918-6844 (813) 918-6855Typical Rubber Removal7813 Professional Place|Tampa, FL33637|813-985-4500|info@blasters.net|blasters.net/liquidatorSeptember 2024AirportImprovement.com'