b'34 BWI RUNWAYS New Airfield Lighting Vault Helps Guide the Way at Baltimore/Washington Intl BY CHRIS JONESFACTS&FIGURESFew people realize this, but BaltimoreThe computer systems figures prominently in the U.S.for the new lighting Project: Airfield Lighting Vaultnational anthem. The rockets redvault work in tandem Location: Baltimore/Washington Intl Thurgoodglare, the bombs bursting in air was how poetwith power-providing Marshall Airport Francis Scott Key described the War of 1812equipment known Size: 7,000 sq. ft.as it lit up the citys skies and helped soldiersas constant-current Cost: $24 million see their star-spangled banner at night.regulators. They, in Funding: Passenger facility charges; FAA AirportMore than two centuries later, engineersturn, supply a steadyPAUL SHANKImprovement Program grants and project stakeholders are singing the5,000-volt stream to Design: About 18 monthspraises of how the communitys busy airportcircuits that individually control edge lights, Construction: Feb. 2023-July 2024 now powers and controls illumination forcenterlines and other essential airfield lighting safe aircraft operations. systems. While some airports have several Construction Management: Michael Baker Intl vaults spread over different sites, BWI controls Project Management: McKnight Intl Last September, the Maryland Aviationthe lighting for each of its runways and their General Contractor: Allan Myers Administration added a new $24 millionsupporting taxiways and navigational aids airfield lighting vault at Baltimore/Washingtonwithin a single consolidated facility.Designer of Record: Johnson, Mirmiran &International Thurgood Marshall Airport Thompson Inc. (JMT) (BWI). The nondescript 7,000-square-footChief among the new vaults benefits is the Architecural & Power/Airfield Lightingbuilding cuts a low profile from the outside,redundancy it brings to day-to-day capabilities. System Design: Jacobs but the equipment inside its cinder blockThree identical, fire-rated regulator rooms Control Systems: ADB SAFEGATE walls is vital for managing close to 300physically segregate the lighting systems Backup Generator: Kohler commercial departures daily. for each of the three runways, reducing the 2024 Passenger Volume: 27 million likelihood that a single event could knock Its the cardiovascular system for airfieldmore than one offline. Generating equipment, 2024 Operations: 242,720power distribution, says Paul Shank, thecontrol systems and telecommunications gear Airport Operator: Maryland Aviation Administration airports chief engineer.also exist in separate rooms. Utility feeds from May | June 2025AirportImprovement.com'