The Resource for Air Transportation Professionals
| Fall 2017
THIS ISSUE:
CATALOGUING AN AIRPORT’S ASSETS 3 Leveraging BIM as a powerful life-cycle asset management solution Denver International Airport discusses the software’s role in increasing workforce efficiencies and reducing costs
Michael Santos Director of Asset Management Denver International Airport Brendan Dillon Building Information Modeling Manager Denver International Airport
7 Capital improvement programs can jump-start, expand asset management programs A dual approach can lead to efficient data capture and a valuable asset management solution
Jeff Siegel, GISP Technology Services Director HNTB Corporation
11 Gaining a command of the numbers LAX’s utility infrastructure plan guides vital improvements, modernization
Jeffrey C. Smith, PE Chief Airports Engineer Utilities & Infrastructure Planning & Development Group Los Angeles World Airports
13 New technology takes flight at Kansas City International Airport Maintenance facility will test BIM and asset management with eye toward future MCI terminal
Ian A. Redhead, CM Deputy Director Kansas City, Missouri Aviation Department
Advances in technology bolster asset management programs
Leveraging BIM as a powerful life-cycle asset management solution
Opening Perspective
Denver International Airport discusses the software’s role in increasing workforce efficiencies and reducing costs
Airports represent a complex conglomeration of infrastructure, facilities and systems that all must perform together effectively to provide the reliable air transportation service our society requires. A seemingly never-ending cycle of planning, design, maintenance, modernization and replacement must occur to accommodate projected growth and to adapt to industry changes. As our airports become even larger and more complicated, there is an increasing need to develop and implement processes to effectively integrate and leverage activities associated with design, operations and maintenance. We are fortunate that technology has provided us the software tools that enable our industry to implement asset management systems to perform these processes better than we have ever known before. However, the challenge is how to best develop and implement the specific processes for using those tools and tailoring them to the needs of each airport. LADDIE IRION
HNTB Corporation National Aviation Sector Leader
In this issue of Aviation Insight, we examine how several airports have experienced the benefits of using technology and management processes to implement sophisticated asset management programs to maximize how to design, operate and maintain their plethora of facilities. We spoke to several airport leaders who have invested in the tools and talent to support these programs and are executing at least one or a few asset management systems. One of the latest tools used in asset management programs is leveraging the use of Building Information Modeling (or Management) systems. For several years, BIM has been used in the design and build phase of programs. Now, BIM software can be leveraged for taking inventory of assets, life expectancy of those assets, contextual data and the history of those assets. The opportunities with integrating BIM are endless, and the industry is bracing itself for additional growth in the coming year. The Transportation Research Board’s Airport Cooperative Research Program has produced several papers on this topic, which outline some of the benefits to implementing an asset management program. For airport CEOs, data from an asset management program may deliver a better understanding of future needs to service customers competitively. And for those managing airport budgets and facilities, a solid, integrated asset management program can reduce unforeseen capital needs and assist forecasting for capital, operations and maintenance. As managers are constantly looking for more efficient ways to manage an airport’s infrastructure, implementing a systematic management approach using asset management will promote proactive and collaborative decision-making that will result in significant schedule and cost-savings benefits. With more and more airports on the cusp of planning, designing and executing capital improvement programs, considering a sophisticated asset management program early in the project delivery and procurement process will help airports to provide the facilities that deliver a safe, reliable experience for travelers.
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Building information modeling began as an intelligent 3-D model-based process that helped architects, engineers and contractors more efficiently plan, design and construct buildings and infrastructure. However, in the past 10 years, the industry has seen a shift in BIM’s use. Project owners, such as Denver International Airport, have evolved its purpose beyond the goal of avoiding costly construction errors and schedule delays. The software application now is used to efficiently operate and maintain assets. To learn more about DEN’s use of BIM as an asset management tool, Aviation Insight interviewed Brendan Dillon, Building Information Modeling Manager and Michael Santos, Director of Asset Management. The conversation and their insights follow.
AI: You once defined BIM as “the flow of information about a facility/structure.” Can you elaborate? Dillon: Yes, BIM is first and foremost about improving the flow of information about a project.
Information about a facility has historically been relatively static in the AEC realm. Design operated in its own silo. Construction worked in another silo. Maintenance occurred in yet another silo. The level of information exchanged between those silos was minimal and typically not in easily consumed formats.
Michael Santos Director of Asset Management > Denver International Airport
With our BIM workflow, the design team starts identifying information relevant to maintenance and asset management early in the design process and within their design models. That information then flows to a field data management system for construction, where builders, designers, inspectors, project managers and commissioning agents all have access to it and can refine the working model further based on their specific roles.
Santos: From there, we can push much more robust and accurate data back to the model and
connect it to our maintenance management system. Then, when another project happens in that area, we can download the latest data to the model and have a much more complete view of the conditions of our assets, systems and facilities. It saves time and improves data integrity.
AI: Can you describe DEN’s life-cycle use of BIM? Dillon: DEN has maintained BIM requirements since 2010, but we didn’t begin incorporating it into asset management until 2014.
Today, we require all projects to use BIM, including the newly completed Hotel and Transit Center, future concourse expansion program and Jeppesen Terminal Great Hall renovation. On those projects and others, we use BIM to track and log the static location of eash asset, and their core attributes — but our use of BIM doesn’t stop there. We also leverage it to help manage and control our assets. BIM ties all our other systems together like our work-order asset management system, our geospatial information system and building automation systems, such as HVAC, electrical or hydronic controls.
Brendan Dillon Building Information Modeling Manager > Denver International Airport
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AI: How do you choose or prioritize what is recorded in BIM? Dillon: We have more than 17 million square feet of facilities modeled at least at the base level. The BIM information we collect is defined by the people who will use the information — maintenance staff, the Federal Aviation Administration, DEN airport planners or a future project. These data users and others determine what we collect.
“You can’t be the solution to everything. You have to rely on the expertise of your team.”
AI: Were there challenges in developing a BIM-based approach to asset management? How did you overcome them? Santos: During the first four years of our BIM program, we had no dedicated city staff supporting the program, which slowed its development. Since the establishment of the DEN asset management team in 2013, we have employed a dedicated, internal BIM team as an integral part of DEN Airport Infrastructure Management.
We’ve also learned that leadership must have a clear sight line to asset management initiatives, and we are fortunate that our leadership clearly understands and fully supports how improvements in infrastructure, process and technology benefit the organization at large. The greater challenge is socializing the strategic purpose of asset management. We are overcoming this and changing our airport culture by deploying a strategic asset management plan and teaching those asset management principles to our colleagues at DEN. This plan will speak not only to leadership but to the hard-working men and women who keep our airport running around the clock.
AI: How has DEN benefited from using BIM as an asset management tool? Dillon: Before construction, BIM helps us with spatial coordination, clash detection, structural design analysis, design review, cost analysis and construction scheduling. It has resolved countless clashes and dramatically reduced the number of change orders because our contractors receive better jobsite information up front. Santos: We’ve also seen many post-construction benefits. For example, we will spend less time making reactive repairs and more time preventively and predictively maintaining the asset base long-term. BIM also has a crucial, positive impact on preventing asset initial mortality through prevention of design flaws that manifest themselves after project acceptance, thus dramatically reducing warranty claims and operational disruption. Our vision is to have our technicians use their time more efficiently because they will be able to diagnose a problem from their computer tablets without making a trip into the field. In addition to these benefits, instead of replacing an asset according to specific time cycles — despite their conditions, BIM lets us get near-full use from an asset before we replace it because we will have realtime condition information and advanced warning of potential failure BIM is central to our vision of employing a data-driven, reliability and condition-based asset management program.
The more comprehensive information we have regarding our property and asset base, the more efficient and effective our operations and maintenance will be. In addition, our short and long-range infrastructure recapitalization forecasts will be more accurate.
• Building Information Modeling or
Building Information Management is about the flow of information about a facility/structure
Existing BIM/Assets
Project Start
Data Harvest
• Most commonly thought of in
terms of a project, but also applicable to ongoing programs - Existing conditions - Design - Construction/Construction Admin - CX/Activation - Closeout - FM/O&M
Design Model
Cx/ CxDMA
Construction Model
In the first case, we’ve identified more assets earlier, collected more information about each asset and loaded the asset into our maintenance management system sooner. Expand BIM’s use further and you discover other benefits. For example, instead of carrying around drawings, manually taking notes, and running back and forth between the worksite and the trailer to check other drawings and notes, our quality assurance inspectors now carry mobile tablets, loaded with all the drawings and specs. They enter daily notes on-site with no retyping and can easily attach photos. One informal internal survey estimated that using mobile tablets may be saving us more than half a million dollars per year on the 40 or so inspectors we currently have. Once our major CIP projects begin, the number of full-time inspectors may climb to as many as 100, which could magnify the efficiencies we’re seeing now.
Santos: Quantifying the time or cost saved is difficult because our goals are to create workforce
efficiency and avoid the cost of asset breakdown. Having said that, the real savings to the enterprise begins when you establish the asset record and, subsequently, the asset maintenance needs. With BIM and our computerized maintenance management system working together as an integrated system of systems, our investments in infrastructure realize their full life spans at minimal life-cycle costs. One of our most innovative BIM applications, thus far, is the information exchange between Maximo our asset management software and BIM software. By connecting the two via an independent, off-the-shelf data bridge we have saved more than 1,000 hours of CMMS data entry time per year, depending on the number of completed projects and commissioned assets.
AI: Are any of those benefits quantifiable?
AI: Earlier you mentioned dedicating staff as a best practice in speeding the creation of a BIM-based asset management program. What other best practices would you recommend in your approach to facilities management or asset management?
Dillon: When you start talking about ROI, things get muddy because it’s unclear where BIM ends:
Santos: I would offer three. First, establish guidelines, contractor requirements and internal standards
In short, BIM helps us improve our asset’s performance and reliability, keeping the terminal complex running smoothly, and creating a superior passenger experience.
Is BIM just the 3-D digital model? Or is it the overall approach we’ve taken to modernizing our design and construction practices?
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BIM OVERVIEW
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upfront. Second, stress metadata accuracy within the model. This is critical because it eventually populates the CMMS and drives proper maintenance regimes. Third, determine a data identification format, so the
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Capital improvement programs can jump-start, expand asset management programs A dual approach can lead to efficient data capture and a valuable asset management solution As several airports ramp up their capital improvement programs, we also may see those same airports use the opportunity to create or expand their asset management programs. A capital improvement program is the perfect time to capture asset inventory data and use it to populate a new asset management system or expand an existing system, a much more efficient approach than creating or expanding the data-intensive process after the fact. way the data is disseminated across other information platforms is standardized and consistent. One of our biggest lessons learned in the past couple of years was investing in standardizing asset identification formats. It was a massive undertaking. Now, we predominantly use Uniformat II.
AI: Are there disadvantages to using BIM? Has it required a significant investment in time and resources? Dillon: There is an expense, but we choose to view it as an investment in responsible stewardship and sustainability. ■
For more about Denver International Airport, visit flyDenver.com ABOUT THE INTERVIEWEES
Michael Santos is the director of asset management for Denver International Airport. He has led asset management organizations within the government and private sectors for more than 20 years and has applied asset management principles to a wide array of infrastructures from the Arctic to the Antarctic. He has realized billions of dollars of savings from the administration of infrastructure and physical asset management programs. Contact him at michael.santos@flydenver.com.
Brendan Dillon is the building information modeling manager for Denver International Airport. He is responsible for DEN’s industry-leading implementation of BIM and integration of BIM technologies with GIS and asset management systems. Prior to joining DEN staff, he managed more than $1 billion in BIM projects in the design industry. Contact him at brendan.dillon@flydenver.com.
By incorporating asset identification and clarification into the planning, design and construction of new terminals and facilities, the costly and time-consuming phase of as-built asset data capture can be mitigated. Using building information modeling and related technologies in tandem with incorporating an asset management framework, construction of a facility also can result in an up-to-date “virtual” asset management tool for operation and maintenance. Airports like Dallas Fort Worth International Airport seek a more comprehensive, collaborative approach that involves departments and disciplines across an asset’s life cycle. DFW is using BIM to create a complete virtual campus, tying together all facility management information into one environment to support multiple operations and maintenance work processes. Because DFW has embarked on a significant capital improvement program, requesting consultants and contractors use BIM and related standards will allow the airport to piece together a framework enterprise asset management from reliable as-built databases, making it an integrated element for its capital improvement efforts.
Jeff Siegel, GISP Technology Services Director > HNTB Corporation
Enterprise asset management is a strategic, systematic process of operating, maintaining, upgrading and expanding physical assets effectively throughout their life cycles. By incorporating business and engineering practices, airports can more effectively plan and deploy capital investments. The result is better decision-making based on quality information and well-defined objectives, which can lead to enhanced customer service for both passengers and airlines and significant financial benefits through improved life-cycle cost decision-making. At the heart of an effective enterprise asset management system is the underlying data. For airports, enterprise asset management can be a very data-intensive process. Therefore, successful enterprise asset management programs incorporate technology to manage data, providing executives a framework from which to make more informed decisions, such as: • Planning asset improvements, operations and maintenance • Prioritizing projects to determine how best to spend current budgets for the greatest return on investment • Extending life cycles through increased focus on preventative maintenance and operations • Improving airport capital planning by anticipating and budgeting for future repairs and replacements
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Standing up your EAM system The most effective enterprise asset management programs are a product of a systematic approach and careful planning. Following are steps airports can take to achieve a more holistic, cross-functional approach.
1. Set the vision and provide management support. Senior leadership should communicate the vision of approaching asset management more holistically to ensure all assets meet established customer service levels. They set the direction, tone and expectations and provide the resources necessary for successful implementation. Middle-management directly oversees the planning, operations and maintenance functions that comprise the “legwork” of EAM.
Gensler
2. Guide the effort with a cross-functional implementation team. A cross-functional
steering committee is essential. An EAM requires significant information sharing as well as a mutual understanding of, and agreement on, priorities, methods, commitments and expected results. The more divergent opinions, ideas and beliefs brought to the table, the more vetted and comprehensive the solution. The most effective implementations are programmatic, so airports should include airport decisionmakers from all departments as well as vendors or subconsultants who will play key planning and implementation roles.
“EAM implementation is not a small effort. It can dramatically impact current planning, operations and maintenance activities.”
3. Provide a dedicated program manager. For many airports, asset management status falls into one of three categories:
Gensler
• Implementation is crawling at a glacial pace although divisions/departments need it now. • A system that benefited from investment is trapped in a silo, making it difficult to expand to other departments/divisions. • Airport personnel must start system implementation from scratch, and they don’t know how to begin. If an airport falls into one of those categories, a program manager can provide: • Strong project management and strategic planning expertise • Access to and an understanding of leading enterprise asset management software vendors • Knowledge of each software system’s strengths, weaknesses and integration potential • Know-how based on the success of multiple implementations • The ability to boost success and lower cost by using the latest information technology trends EAM implementation is not a small effort. It can dramatically impact current planning, operations and maintenance activities. A program manager with proper qualifications and a fresh perspective can provide the additional momentum and/or know-how the airport may need to move the program forward.
4. Design a systematic asset management plan. An asset management system should be
designed to integrate activities across functional areas and to combine business unit and operations data into an organization-wide, aggregated analysis. The result should allow decision-makers to address fundamental strategic questions linked to the airport’s performance of its mission, such as: • What are our current assets and their conditions? • Are we meeting our required level of service on each asset? • What will it be like to maintain the facilities we plan to build? • Which assets are critical to the airport’s sustained performance? • What are our best investment strategies for capital improvement planning, operating and maintenance?
Location
Denver, CO
Client
Denver International Airport
Cost
$375,000,000
Completed 2015
5. Create policies and procedures to manage data and workflows that will feed into the new system. The ISO 55000 series, and the former PAS55 guidelines, have emerged as guiding principles and best practices for asset management implementation. Other guidance includes the Airports Cooperative Research Program Report: Asset and Infrastructure Management for Airports.
6. Identify the software package or vendor to best support the policies and processes. There are many technology platforms and strategies that can best support an enterprise asset management approach. Basing selection on user needs and leveraging current technology portfolios will align the effort with success.
7. Collect, interpret and maintain data. Through strategic data collection and interpretation,
airports address the assets themselves and their life-cycle costs, creating rehabilitation or reconstruction investment scenarios to see how those scenarios impact the overall system and current budget constraints. The purpose of analysis is to determine the optimum life cycle the airport can get from a specific asset. Asset inventories and condition assessments can be a major task when launching and EAM effort. Technology, such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), can be deployed as an extremely efficient tool for surveying and mapping existing conditions in both indoor and outdoor facilities. BIM is an effective platform for managing this robust, three-dimensional spatial information throughout the entire life cycle. BIM supports the creation, collation, exchange and maintenance of shared models and corresponding intelligent structured data. This helps to avoid information loss when progressing between different life-cycle stages and transitioning management responsibilities. Tracking and analysis of activities and equipment performance through BIM and an integrated maintenance management system is an important element of enterprise asset management. In addition to helping maintenance workers do their jobs more effectively these systems help management make informed repair versus replacement decisions.
8. Conduct an incremental rollout. Identify and pursue early wins to maintain momentum and strengthen the case for an enterprise asset management system.
• What is our best long-term funding strategy? • At what point should we be replacing assets instead of simply repairing them? • What are the customer-service benefits and financial benefits? 8
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9. Incorporate tools that build a supportive culture. Ask agency leaders to communicate
the benefits of EAM to employees. Have them talk about the greater operational efficiencies, improved emergency response, increased asset knowledge and more informed decision-making and EAM system can provide. Hold day-in-the-life demonstrations to help employees visualize how an EAM system works.
10. Incorporate digital tools to promote ease of use in the field. As part of its EAM, the
Massachusetts Port Authority uses tablets when conducting field inspections of airside and landside infrastructure. Using different mobile device options, staff can efficiently capture inspection data and corresponding evidence with the aid of photos, voice memos and inspection ratings. Massport’s EAM systems allow field and office staff to effectively review inspection data, generate work orders that assign maintenance and repair tasks to its workforce and track the history and status of each comment and work order.
11. Settle in. A successful asset management program typically is a long-term engagement that results in continuous organizational improvement. As the system matures, beware of scope creep and distractions. Priorities can change, but they must align with goals outlined in the strategic plan.
Gaining a command of the numbers LAX’s utility infrastructure plan guides vital improvements, modernization In 2009, Los Angeles World Airports began an era of modernization at Los Angeles International Airport. Under our current capital improvement program, we are renovating and building new terminals, a consolidated rent-a-car facility, an automated people mover and an intermodal transportation facility. As we looked at adding gates, modifying airport access, reconfiguring runways and streets and increasing our passenger capacity, we began to question the condition of our utilities and their capacity to support a world-class airport. Our utilities infrastructure plan has begun to help us answer those questions.
It’s not a question of airports learning how to take better care of their assets but how to maintain the appropriate level of service, given an increasing number of financial and resource constraints. Implementing an EAM approach is an important strategic investment for airports that directly supports the missions of providing safe, reliable transportation. ■
LAWA has been developing a master plan for several years. The current utility planning initiative, LAX’s Utility Infrastructure Plan, started in 2014 and is what drives our utility project development today. With the help, we have created central utility plant programming documents and project definition booklets that, based on results from the studies and assessments, contain detailed, utilityspecific plans. We have pushed a number of those initiatives — both utility replacements and upgrades — into our capital improvement program.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
But reaching that point hasn’t been easy. With all the other activities taking placing at LAX, a utility infrastructure plan didn’t merit high priority. But we persisted. Now, with the first leg of our utility condition and capacity assessment completed, the airport is beginning to see a return on investment.
Jeff Siegel is practice leader of information technology services and serves as national expert in enterprise asset management systems implementation. He has more than 23 years of experience specializing in the implementation of sophisticated spatially enabled information systems and related technologies. Contact him at jsiegel@hntb.com or (312) 930-9119.
Today, when my staff and I are called to a meeting to discuss utility capacity in relation to proposed changes in the capital improvement plan, for example, we can respond confidently and articulately. The utility infrastructure plan is helping us make more informed decisions, and that is validating.
Jeffrey C. Smith, PE Chief Airports Engineer Utilities & Infrastructure Planning & Development Group > Los Angeles World Airports
The development process hasn’t been perfect, but we are learning and improving continually as we advance the UIP. Below are five of our biggest key learnings to date:
1. Phasing and prioritizing help manage budget, scope. The original, proposed budget for our utility infrastructure plan was nearly four times the amount approved, so we launched our utility study in phases. Phase 1, which now is complete, focused on mission-critical utilities serving the central terminal area. We have a good product for the investment, but it doesn’t cover the entire suite of utilities nor does it cover the entire campus.
Although phasing narrowed our focus, the study’s scope still was enormous. To better manage the project and stay within budget, we adopted a tiered approach: • Tier-one utilities (fire, water, power, sewer, storm drains, recycled water and natural gas) would be studied in detail. • Tier-two utilities (telecommunications, IT, fueling systems, etc.) would receive a cursory review with future phases filling in the gaps. Segmenting the study into phases and tiers was a practical solution, given multiple constraints. And, as it turns out, phasing has its benefits. The pause between each completed segment gives us an opportunity to evaluate our methodology and refine how we roll out recommendations and changes.
2. Complete the UIP before starting a CIP. As we wrapped up phase 1, it became obvious
to us that the capital improvement program we started with was not the program we have now. Our $15 billion to $20 billion capital improvement program began as a $2 billion to $5 billion initiative six years ago. As the airport master plan changed over those six years, the utility infrastructure plan adjusted with it. During the first three years, we made utility adjustments, and in years four through six, we brought a consultant to help with the utility infrastructure program.
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Already, we have had to update assumptions and recommendations in the utility infrastructure program. And, in some cases, the revisions have been dramatic. LAX’s power demand now is two-and-a-half times what we estimated in 2016. The calculation is due to a major change in terminal occupancy. In May 2017, Delta Air Lines relocated from Terminals 5 and 6 to Terminals 2 and 3, resulting in one of the largest terminal moves in commercial aviation history. Over the next seven years, Delta will invest $2 billion to expand, modernize, upgrade and connect Terminals 2 and 3 with the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The relocation and improvements significantly boost power demand and will increase the demand for hot and chilled water delivered by the LAX central utility plant. Prior to the utility infrastructure plan and with each major change, we would have to tabulate from scratch new utility demand and capacity numbers. Now, with the first phase of the CIP completed, we keep a running total, which is much more efficient. My advice to any airport with a major CIP on the horizon would be to start your utility infrastructure plan now. At some point, that information will be critical, and if you don’t have it, you will be behind the curve.
3. Take ownership of drawings. Before the utility infrastructure plan program, many departments “touched” record drawings and as-built drawings, but no single department took ownership of them. When we began the utility infrastructure plan program, we established a utility planning group. Part of our job going forward will be to collect, maintain and manage our record drawings and as-built drawings. We will validate the drawings as they are passed on to CIP projects, and, as each project is completed, we will make sure we capture the final data, so we have accurate information on which to plan, design and construct the next project.
4. Capture your utilities in 3-D. As part of the utility infrastructure plan and assessment and
with limited funding, we launched a pilot program using 3-D modeling, which will be invaluable for future construction projects. Having accurate, three-dimensional models of what is buried in LAX’s extremely congested utility corridors will be a best practice going forward.
5. Appreciate the UIP’s role in sustainability. A utility infrastructure plan is a large piece of
“A utility infrastructure plan is a large piece of the sustainability puzzle.”
the sustainability puzzle. Having a holistic plan for efficient, reliable infrastructure is part of being a good environmental steward and a responsible corporate citizen. A campus-wide utility infrastructure plan will help us respond to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s initiatives to reduce potable water consumption, leverage opportunities to use recycled water, and add metering to benchmark and track our domestic water consumption. Having reliable utility infrastructure that we can monitor and manage will make LAX a more sustainable, efficient world-class airport.
A tool for growth The utility infrastructure plan has improved our understanding of the conditions and capacities of our utility infrastructure. That alone has been worth the investment. Although preliminary, we are realizing other benefits. It has helped us model and recommend infrastructure replacements. It has helped us understand the importance of designing redundancies into the system, so we can, for example, work on our water system without interrupting service to a terminal. And, a campus-wide utility infrastructure plan also will help LAWA optimize the operations of LAX’s central utility plant. Ultimately, the UIP will put us in an even better position from which to plan and manage growth. ■ For more about Los Angeles International Airport, visit Lawa.org. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeffrey C. Smith is chief airports engineer for the Los Angeles World Airports. He manages the utilities and infrastructure section of the planning and development group, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles. Smith oversees the planning and capital development of all underground utilities and supporting infrastructure that service and support the two airports owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles. Contact him at jsmith@lawa.org or (424) 646-5701.
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New technology takes flight at Kansas City International Airport Maintenance facility will test BIM and asset management with eye toward future MCI terminal Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is on the cusp of transformation. The airport team is preparing to use BIM as an asset management tool on a new maintenance facility, with the goal of optimizing its process before a new terminal facility is built at the airport in the future. Implementing this new asset management model is several years in the making and only gained momentum after the possibility of a new terminal facility began to solidify. Aviation Insight spoke with Ian A. Redhead, deputy director of aviation for Kansas City, about what this new process means for the airport’s future. The conversation is below.
AI: Has there been a shift or change in MCI’s overall approach to facilities management? For years, a lot of facilities and asset management was based on either scheduled maintenance or reactionary maintenance, due to manual processes used to track asset performance in an airport. Our airport is an older facility and yet there are new tools now that can be used to track assets. We are moving toward using technology to help us gather data, and use that data to do more predictive maintenance. This will allow us to be a lot more proactive and productive going forward in how we manage and maintain our facilities.
Ian A. Redhead, CM Deputy Director > Kansas City, Missouri Aviation Department
It is not being implemented quite yet. We just built a new maintenance facility, and as part of that process we made sure the facility became a ‘smart’ building. We tagged the assets within the facility and worked with IT to integrate this data into other systems. Additionally, as part of the project we worked with our consultant team to develop a BIM standard going forward.
AI: Why shift to BIM and asset management? My colleagues across the aviation industry realize there are smarter ways to maintain facilities. There is technology available to help. Owners of facilities realize the potential cost savings from proactively incorporating that type of design and 3-D modeling into an asset management system.
AI: What hurdles did you have to cross to make this happen? This started about five years ago. When we started looking at potential asset management systems, the cost of going in and tagging the assets within our existing facilities was phenomenally high. It didn’t make sense to proceed at the time. Some of our systems were already at the end of life. If we are able to build a new terminal in the future, it opens the door for us to implement this new process, as we would start at zero where everything is new. My thought was to incorporate technology at a small scale before pushing it out more broadly across all facilities. We are one of the few airports that are doing this integration from scratch.
AI: What is the goal of the new maintenance facility project? The reason we did this integration on the new maintenance facility is because it is a smaller facility and we hope to have some time to be able to use the new process and software package. Ultimately, should we
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“We want to make sure that we do not get too granular in terms of data, as it may overwhelm the system.”
be able to proceed with our modernization program and build a new terminal facility, we hope to be able to use the BIM and asset management integration models.
Resource Center
This was all done with a new terminal in mind. We want to take advantage of a smaller project and “iron out the bugs,” use it for a couple of years, and make sure that we develop a solid standard and process for the new modernization project.
Other helpful websites:
AI: What are the benefits to testing BIM and an asset management system on this maintenance facility?
Airport Consultants Council acconline.org This international trade association represents airport consultants and related businesses.
This requires a complete change in the way we operate. It requires that when we do tenant modifications and develop a process that is followed. We will have a proper work order system that is being utilized, and it will ensure that we are utilizing the asset management software properly. In the long run, if we do it properly, the benefits are humongous. If we were to wait to implement it in a brand new terminal and work through all the kinks at the same time, it likely would be a nightmare.
American Association of Airport Executives aaae.org AAAE is the world’s largest professional organization for airport executives, representing thousands of airport management personnel at public-use airports nationwide.
AI: What are some of the best practices you would offer others who are thinking of incorporating these processes? I encourage attending industry meetings. My participation on Airport Council International committees exposed me to other best practices from across the industry. These are best practices that I can share with the airport as we continually improve managing our facilities. ■ For more information about Kansas City International Airport, visit flykci.com.
TRB Airport Cooperative Research Program trb.org The Cooperative Research Programs Division of the TRB, led by Director Christopher Hedges, administers a number of major research programs sponsored by other organizations. Aviation Insight is published by HNTB Corporation. HNTB is an infrastructure solutions firm providing award-winning planning, design, program management and construction management services. Please direct all questions or comments about Aviation Insight to corporatecommunications@hntb.com.
AI: What metrics are you looking at for feedback on the new maintenance facility? It’s premature to set metrics in the sense that we don’t have any data yet. We are methodically building this new system and integrating all of the various components. We want to make sure that we do not get too granular in terms of data, as it may overwhelm the system. We hope to ensure the data we receive is useful and can establish ongoing metrics based upon the data received. That, to me, is one of the biggest concerns — is what we are doing going to be useful or just a lot of data?
Airports Council International - North America aci-na.org The ACI-NA represents local, regional and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada.
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ABOUT THE INTERVIEWEE
Ian A. Redhead, CM, is deputy director of Kansas City, Missouri Aviation Department. He has more than 30 years of experience in the aviation industry, including work at Cleveland Hopkins, Philadelphia and San Diego International airports. Contact him at: ian.redhead@kcmo.org or (816) 243-3100.
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Kansas City International Airport’s three-terminal layout was designed in the 1960s and opened in 1972 before passenger and baggage screening were required. The last two KCI Master Plans recommended building a new, single terminal for added convenience and efficiency. The city authorized a ballot question for the Nov. 7, 2017, election which asked voters for approval to proceed with the terminal development project. The measure passed, with 75 percent voting in favor of demolishing existing terminals as needed, and approving construction of a new single terminal to serve the airport.
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HNTB | Aviation Insight | Fall 2017
HNTB | Aviation Insight | Fall 2017
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