Palm Beach International Airport continues to see strong demand from business aviation. To maintain its high level of customer service and safety standards, the airport has invested in airfield improvements that will enhance safety and streamline operations for its diverse user base of general aviation aircraft ranging from Group II commuters to Group V dignitaries.

We’re providing Palm Beach County Department of Airports with services including project management, programming, engineering design and construction administration. Construction value is estimated at $25 million. Our work includes design of 7,900 feet of parallel taxiway, runway-apron connectors, and a full-length rehabilitation of the Runway 14-32 shoulders. We will remove hot spots and provide better access to the customs ramp, all while reducing the total impervious surface area. This will result in reduced flooding and cleaner stormwater discharges from the airport.

We have incorporated advanced aircraft movement modeling into the geometric design and construction phasing, which considered the mobility of highly specialized aircraft that use the PBI airfield under power and undertow. Our advanced movement modeling supports the project’s critical construction phasing and safety plan in balance with operational needs and additional airfield construction projects currently underway.

Using sophisticated 3D animations, we incorporated movement models into easily conveyed presentations for use by airport operations staff in their stakeholder review, including with aircraft operators and air-traffic control.  These tools are specifically tailored for our client’s projects and allow stakeholders to see firsthand the potential impacts of key decisions so that an agreed-upon solution can be developed by the entire project team and quickly implemented.

For the airfield, we commenced design using the latest version of AutoCAD Civil 3D. What differentiates our approach is our proven ability to seamlessly partner AutoCAD with Infraworks and 3ds Max to provide a visual representation of the project. This allowed us, our client and all stakeholders to experience the project together during the planning and design phase, which was key to successfully communicating so the airport could make informed decisions. Many stakeholders are not accustomed to reading and interpreting construction drawings. Our visualization tools conveyed the airfield work in a way that non-technical stakeholders could easily understand. And our client benefited from this approach by getting higher-quality responses from stakeholder reviews.

When complete, this project will transform PBI’s general aviation facilities into a modern, safe and efficient operation supporting a dynamic mix of aircraft. Stakeholders have navigated the completed project through our realistic 3D visualization environment and are fully informed of the construction impacts to their operations. As general aviation continues to grow at PBI, the Department of Airports has ensured that their airfield will continue to support growing demand from an increasingly diverse mix of users.