| Project Detail |
The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is one of the largest commercial airports in the US. Over 40 million passengers travel through this hub every year. The airport also services the Air National Guard and their KC-135 aerial refueling tanker aircraft.
Our job was to assess six newly designed and constructed hydrant fuel stations to support the KC-135s. Storage for 420,000 gallons of jet fuel meant one of the two new tanks had to be increased in size with concrete containment walls and a jet fuel resistant membrane. To transport the fuel, 2,000 linear feet of 12-inch stainless steel pipe was constructed in underground concrete trenches.
Meeting the Air Guard’s specification and requirements meant we had to figure out why the systems didn’t work, review short falls in the original design, and redesign the system.
But the job was more than just fuel storage and transportation. The design also included a new pump house, a commercial truck offload stand (for two trucks), a truck fuel stand, and an on-site fuel testing laboratory with an operations building to monitor and control the system.
Now, it’s more convenient and more efficient to get these planes refueled—extending the range of the other aircraft that depend on them.
Redesigning a refueling system at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport |
