PROJECTS OF THE YEAR OPERATIONS Aerial image of the south deicing pad. COURTESY OF HARTSFIELD JACKSON ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT O HARTSFIELD JACKSON ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SOUTH DEICING COMPLEX RAMP & SUPPORT THE HARTSFIELD Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) has expanded its deicing capabilities by constructing a new $147M South Deicing Complex. The airport was given a goal by the airline stakeholders of zero canceled flights due to a deicing event. To achieve this goal the Airport tasked the design team to develop a plan that provides flexibility for simultaneous deicing of five Group V or 10 Group III aircraft. " Even though it does not snow a f Location: Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport f Project: South Deicing Complex Ramp & Support f Completion: November 2022 f Key Participants: Andrew Bolin, PE; John Walz, PE, LEED AP; Eskender Abebe; Jan Bryson f Category: Operations f Cost: $147M whole lot in Atlanta, whenever it does snow and full-on deicing is required, it is always very challenging because we previously did not have enough deicing pads to accommodate the demand, " said Tom Nissalke Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport Assistant General Manager/Planning and Development. " This new facility will provide adequate resources for our airline partners to conduct deicing operations, and make sure the national airspace is not impacted when severe weather hits Atlanta. " The facility had to permit access for aircraft during deicing while simultaneously allowing aircraft to reach the cargo facility for normal operations. Ensuring safe aircraft movement was complicated by an existing taxiway connector that allowed aircraft direct access from the deicing ramp onto Runway 27L. During the design process multiple ramp layout alternatives were considered to address the concerns of the operations team responsible for safely maneuvering aircraft throughout the area during a deicing event. These alternatives were evaluated in a series of safety risk management meetings. The design plans for the South Deicing Complex were solidified in December 2019 and construction began in early 2021. Challenges during the design included trying save as much of the JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 \ AVIATIONPROS.COM / 11 P A R E O J E C H T S F T E Y R 2 3 2http://www.AVIATIONPROS.COM