Topic of this thesis is concept design of high power towbarless aircraft tractor. Concept brings up different form design for overall appearance of vehicle based primarily on new technologies and solutions.

Ever since the airport was conceived as a permanent building type, airport designers have debated what identity an airport should embody. As a threshold of first impressions, the airport should not only introduce the visitor to the local environment but also represent the identity of a country. The aim of this thesis project is to design an airport terminal that reflects the natural and cultural environments of the islands of the Bahamas. Through its architecture, this building attempts to create an engaging experience for its users: passengers, employees and visitors. Local culture and sense of place are abstracted through architectural ideas, realized in the language of contextual modernism. The synthesis of the themes and concepts explored throughout the design process are presented through drawings and commentary. Precedents such as the Taino cosmos, color and nature, place and culture are used to inspire structural systems, form and aesthetics. The plan of the new airport terminal fulfils the functional program while interpreting the land and sea formations of the Bahama islands; ocean currents and land-sea patterns may be associated with movements of people and machines, converging and diverging within the airport environment. / Master of Architecture

Global mobility, wireless technology and networked society are transforming the airport territory. These changes (hard factors) have been analysed in airport planning and transportation studies (Koll-Schretzenmayr 2003; Banister 2003; Schaafsma 2003; Knippenberger &Wall 2010; Salewski & Michaelli 2011; Convenz & Thierstein ed. 2014 et al) and architecture and design (Edwards 1998; Blow 2005; Cuadra 2002; Uffelen 2012; Gensler 2013 et al). But design strategies focusing on the passenger experience (soft factors) have not yet been thoroughly assimilated by architecture and design. On the theoretical level this dissertation spans the analysis of current methodologies in social studies (e.g. Castells 1996; Gottdiener 2000; Cresswell 2006; Urry, 2007; Elliott & Urry 2010; Adey 2010 et al) and their relation to architectural and urban studies concepts for the airport. The latter includes the “Airport as City” (Güller & Güller 2000), “Aviopolis – A Book about Airports” (Fuller & Harley 2005) and “Aerotropolis” (Kassarda 2010). This dissertation also explores IT and aviation industry interests at the interface between technology and air travellers. In this light aviation industry research and solutions (Amadeus 2011, SITA 2013) are important to consider, as well the philosophy behind who travels and for what purpose (Sloterdijk 1998; Koolhaas 1998; Gottdiener 2000; Urry 2007; Birtchnell & Caletrio 2014 et al). Here, the author’s previous field research at Frankfurt International Airport is relevant. We live more mobile lifestyles, we work in hybrid spaces (Suoza 2006; Duffy 2010 et al), and we consequently need to share information and collaborate differently. Using constant travellers as a case study, the impact of physical and informational mobility on perceptions of and behavioural patterns in the airport can lead to a deeper understanding of mobile work and the air travel experience. New design strategies can be developed from research about constant travellers, and the results may improve their work and air travel experience. The author’s combination of design approaches from architecture and social science (sociology and psychology) methodologies can better address the real needs of constant travellers in hybrid workspaces. It is hoped that this dissertation will inspire airport architects and designers, interaction designers and the aviation industry to pay more attention to users’ needs in their design processes.

The research described herein is composed of four major areas of practice. It examines the overall performance of runways and provides tools designed to improve current runway operations and management with particular emphasis on contaminated surfaces. Presented in this thesis is an overview of how to design airport pavements in order to achieve optimal friction by specifically focusing on material selection and construction techniques for rigid and flexible pavements. Rubber buildup and the impact rubber accumulation has on decreasing runway friction, particularly in a range of climatic conditions, is discussed. Four commonly used rubber removal techniques are presented and evaluated. Through this research, an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) decision making protocol was developed for incorporation into airport pavement management systems (APMS). Runway surface condition reporting practices used at the Region of Waterloo International Airport are evaluated and recommendations for improving current practices are identified. Runway surface condition reporting can be improved by removing subjectivity, reporting conditions to pilots in real time, standardizing terminology and measurement techniques, and including runway pictures or sketches to identify contaminant locations where possible. Reports should be incorporated and stored in the APMS. Aircraft braking systems and their effects on landing distances under contaminated conditions are discussed. This thesis presents a proposed solution for monitoring and measuring contaminated runway surfaces and identifying the risks associated with aircraft landing through using the Braking Availability Tester (BAT). Also proposed in this thesis is a testing framework for validating the Braking Availability Tester. The proposed BAT measures interaction between aircraft antiskid braking systems and runway contaminants to determine landing distances more accurately. Finally, this thesis includes a discussion explaining how pavement design, contaminant removal, results from friction tests, and results from the BAT can be incorporated into airport pavement management systems. APMS data can be analyzed to economically optimize and prioritize scheduling of pavement maintenance, preservation and rehabilitation treatments to maintain a high level of service, thereby contributing to runway safety and optimization.

The research described herein is composed of four major areas of practice. It examines the overall performance of runways and provides tools designed to improve current runway operations and management with particular emphasis on contaminated surfaces. Presented in this thesis is an overview of how to design airport pavements in order to achieve optimal friction by specifically focusing on material selection and construction techniques for rigid and flexible pavements. Rubber buildup and the impact rubber accumulation has on decreasing runway friction, particularly in a range of climatic conditions, is discussed. Four commonly used rubber removal techniques are presented and evaluated. Through this research, an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) decision making protocol was developed for incorporation into airport pavement management systems (APMS). Runway surface condition reporting practices used at the Region of Waterloo International Airport are evaluated and recommendations for improving current practices are identified. Runway surface condition reporting can be improved by removing subjectivity, reporting conditions to pilots in real time, standardizing terminology and measurement techniques, and including runway pictures or sketches to identify contaminant locations where possible. Reports should be incorporated and stored in the APMS. Aircraft braking systems and their effects on landing distances under contaminated conditions are discussed. This thesis presents a proposed solution for monitoring and measuring contaminated runway surfaces and identifying the risks associated with aircraft landing through using the Braking Availability Tester (BAT). Also proposed in this thesis is a testing framework for validating the Braking Availability Tester. The proposed BAT measures interaction between aircraft antiskid braking systems and runway contaminants to determine landing distances more accurately. Finally, this thesis includes a discussion explaining how pavement design, contaminant removal, results from friction tests, and results from the BAT can be incorporated into airport pavement management systems. APMS data can be analyzed to economically optimize and prioritize scheduling of pavement maintenance, preservation and rehabilitation treatments to maintain a high level of service, thereby contributing to runway safety and optimization.