Background
In 2022, Memphis International Airport (MEM) secured funding to prepare a 56-acre site for future maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) hangars and a ground runup enclosure (GRE). Located at the intersection of Taxiways N and P, the airport sought to create a shovel-ready site for future development with connections to both taxiways. Foth was tasked with determining the best layout options for the full development of the site and creating a flexible design to accommodate developers’ potential needs.
Approach
Major constraints of the site included a decommissioned post office that required demolition, a high-pressure fuel line that crossed the site, and proximity to two major taxiways. Because the airport did not have a developer lined up when the work was bid, the Foth team had the unique challenge of determining the most likely hangar sizes and configurations for the area, as well as creating a grading plan that allowed for maximum flexibility in final hangar and GRE designs. In addition, construction phasing was a paramount consideration due to the potential for operational impacts to FedEx and other tenants.
Early planning yielded three hangar/GRE layout options that maximized future developer flexibility and a grading and utility relocation plan that could accommodate any of these options. Following preliminary planning efforts, the design team determined modifications to reduce the operational impact of construction, identifying an option to keep the grading clear of the Taxiway N object free area. This greatly reduced the number of taxiway closures needed for the work.
Markets: Airports
Services: Aviation Services
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