Airport construction

A major portion, if not the whole, of passenger facilities are located underground to reserve a virtually building-free ground level for the most efficient movements of aircraft. A number of pairs of parked positions of aircraft for loading/unloading are arranged in each of a number of rows. Adjacent aircraft face in opposite directions to facilitate loading/unloading from and to a pair of passenger gates located below each pair of such parked positions and to also facilitate forward movement of aircraft to and from such parked positions. The resulting arrangement is compact and allows efficient movement of aircraft to and from runways while also minimizing the distances passengers travel in moving from a terminal to gates and in moving from one gate to another. Loading/unloading ramps are moveable between inactive positions out of the paths of aircraft and active positions for loading and unloading. Two such ramps can be provided for fore and aft loading of one aircraft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The construction of airports is well known. Many improvements have been made or proposed but the basic construction has remained the same.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention was evolved with the general object of improving the construction of airports. Important aspects of the invention relate to the concept of placing passenger facilities underground, below the level of the surface on which aircraft are supported, and to the recognition of important advantages which result, especially when all or a major portion of the passenger facilities are underground.

An important feature of the invention is that a ground level can be reserved that can be substantially building-free with most passenger facilities being located underground. As shown herein, terminal facilities and driveways for access thereto, as well as parking areas, may be located at ground level but in accordance with the invention, terminal facilities and driveways as well as light rail or other transport means, also parking areas, may be located underground. In any case, passengers need to move through only relatively short distances between a terminals and gates and other passenger facilities.

Another important feature is that a ground level is made available for the most efficient movement of aircraft. Parked positions at which aircraft are loaded or unloaded can be so located as to facilitate movement to and from runways. A large number of parked positions can be arranged in a small compact area. The parked positions can be located in rows with aisles there-between for movement of aircraft to and from runways. As shown herein, the rows and aisles may be in straight lines but they may extend arcuately about a common center and with different radii, forming complete concentric circles if desired. In either case, parked positions can be so located as to allow aircraft to moved in a forward direction into a parked position and, after loading or unloading, to be again moved in a forward direction out of the parked position, obviating the need for the backward movements of aircraft required by conventional airports. Similar features can also be used for locating positions at which aircraft are located for servicing using one or more separate portions of the same lower level used for passenger facilities.

A further very important feature is that it is possible to safely and efficiently load and unload aircraft, especially large aircraft, at entrances which are both fore and aft. A pair of ramps can be used that in active conditions extend in generally parallel relation to each other and a wing of the aircraft and in generally transverse relation to the fuselage of the aircraft. Such ramps can be pivoted or otherwise moved to inactive conditions in which they are out of the path of aircraft being moved to and from a parked position.

Additional important features of the invention relate to the location of passenger waiting areas or gates under parked positions of the aircraft for direct and convenient movement of passengers to or from the aircraft. When the parked positions of aircraft are arranged for efficient movement of aircraft as aforementioned and the gates are in underlying relation to the parked positions, the distances between a terminal and gates and between gates can be much shorter than the distances encountered in conventional airport constructions. The need for people-movers can be obviated in smaller airports. In larger airports, people-movers can be used in a highly convenient and efficient manner to move people between a terminal or a parking area and rows of gates and along rows of gates. People-movers can be located in a separate underground level which can be below that used for gates.

Further important features of the invention relate to loading and unloading of baggage. Conveyors can be located in underground tunnels which can be at a level below that used for gates and which can move baggage horizontally to and from positions below the parked positions of aircraft. Additional conveyors and/or elevators can be used in proximity to each parked position to move baggage between the horizontal conveyors and the aircraft. This feature obviates the need for and inherent dangers and costs of moving baggage on the ground level as employed in conventional airports.

Still further features of the invention relate to the locations of structures for using daylight to illuminate passenger waiting areas and other portions of the passenger level and to the provision of ramps, escalators and elevators used for moving passengers between gates and parked aircraft.

This invention contemplates other objects, features and advantages which will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

InFIG. 1, reference numeral10generally designates an airport constructed in accordance with the invention. The airport10includes an apron portion11having an upper surface at ground level that supports aircraft for movement to and from runways and that supports aircraft at positions in a passenger loading/unloading area generally indicated by reference numeral12and in servicing areas generally indicated by reference numerals13and14. Passenger facilities are positioned underground below the apron11and the loading/unloading area12as hereinafter described. Aircraft15and16are depicted as moving toward runways and while aircraft17and18are depicted as moving from runways toward the loading/unloading area12or servicing areas13and14. Rectangles20,21and22diagrammatically indicate expansion areas which may be incorporated in airport plans for expansion of the areas12,13and14, each of the expansion areas20-22being usable to provide additional passenger loading/unloading or aircraft servicing positions.

A terminal23is provided adjacent one side of the loading/unloading area12and along a driveway24for vehicular traffic. Passengers entering the terminal23at ground level may move through escalators, elevators or stairs to an underground passenger concourse that includes a portion providing gates that underlie aircraft in positions in loading/unloading area12. The arrangement results in very short distances between many gates and the terminal23. A parking region26may be provided along the driveway and may have a number of levels. Access from the parking region to the underground passenger concourse and to people movers may be provided as diagrammatically indicated by broken lines27and28. Although shown at ground level, the terminal23, driveway24and parking regions may be located underground at the same level as the passenger concourse.

As shown inFIG. 1, the aircraft positions in the passenger loading/unloading area12are arranged in four rows with twelve positions in each row and with five aisles in which aircraft may move. A first aisle30is provided between the terminal23and a first row that is closest to the terminal. A second aisle31is provided between the first row and a second of the four rows. A third aisle32is provided between the second row and a third of the four rows. A fourth aisle33is provided between the third row and the fourth of the four rows. A fifth aisle34is provide between the fourth row and the illustrated expansion area20. The twelve aircraft positions in each row are arranged in six pairs. In each pair of aircraft positions the aircrafts face in opposite directions. Thus, as shown, aircrafts35and36in the left-most pair of the first row face in opposite directions, aircraft35facing toward the terminal23and aircraft36facing away from the terminal. The aircraft35may have been moved in a forward direction from aisle31to reach the position shown and, after loading or unloading, may again move in a forward direction and into the aisle30. Similarly, the aircraft36may have been moved in a forward direction from aisle30to reach the position shown and, after loading or unloading, may again move in a forward direction and into the aisle31. To facilitate movements, each aisle is preferably used for movement in only one direction. Thus aisles30,32and34may only be used for movements to the right as illustrated while aisles31and33may only be used for movement to the left as illustrated. As has been noted, rows and aisles, although being shown as extending in straight lines, may extend arcuately about a common center and with different radii, forming complete concentric circles if desired. In that case, the parked positions of aircraft can be such that aircraft are moved only in a forward direction, but it may be desirable to allow bi-directional movement of aircraft in certain aisles, especially aisles between outer rings of parked positions.

In the underground passenger concourse, a pair of gates are associated with each pair aircraft positions and six corridors extend away from the terminal23for access to such pairs of gates. For the purpose of identification of gates and their locations, such six underground corridors may be identified by reference characters A, B, C, D, E and F and positioned as shown inFIG. 1. With four rows of aircraft positions as shown inFIG. 1, eight gates are accessible from each corridor. The eight gates associated with each corridor may be identified by numerals1through8with an odd number indicating a gate on the left and a even number indicating a gate on the right, Thus the gate associated with the position of aircraft35may be identified as gate A1while the gate associated with the position of aircraft36may be identified as gate A2. The gate associated with the right-most aircraft position farthest from the terminal may be identified as gate F8.

FIG. 2is a top plan view corresponding to a portion ofFIG. 1but on a greatly enlarged scale, showing the aircraft35and36in a pair of adjacent loading/unloading positions.FIG. 2also shows structures that are not shown inFIG. 1to avoid confusion, including an illumination dome structure38and including ramp structures39,40,41and42which are operated by actuators43,44,45and46. The illumination dome structure38includes a frusto-spherical top wall of transparent or translucent material to use ambient light for illumination of underlying space during daylight hours. Ramp structures39and40are usable for fore and aft loading or unloading of aircraft in the position of aircraft35and ramp structures41and42are usable for fore and aft loading or unloading of aircraft in the position of aircraft36. Such ramp structures are shown inFIG. 2in inactive positions to be out of the way of aircraft such as aircrafts35and36when moved into and out of loading/unloading positions.FIG. 3shows the ramp structures39,40,41and42after being moved by actuators43,44,45and46to active positions for loading or unloading of passengers. In doing so, the actuators43,44,45and46operate to pivot the structures about axes47,48,49and50and to lift the ends of the structures as required to place the ends of the structures opposite passenger-receiving openings in the fuselages of the aircraft. Then the actuators43-46operate to extend the lengths of the ramp structures39-42as required to place the ends of the ramp structures against the fuselages of the aircraft, the ramp structures39-42having telescopingly expandable portions for this purpose and to allow use with different types of aircraft. The angles of rotation from positions as shown inFIG. 2to positions as shown inFIG. 3vary with different types of aircraft but are approximately 90 degrees, the structures39and42being rotated in clockwise directions while structures40and41are rotated in counter-clockwise directions.

FIG. 3also shows four escalators51,52,53and54usable to move passengers between a lower level and landings55,56,57and58which are adjacent to ends of the ramp structures39,40,41and42and which are approximately at ground level. A portion of the illumination dome38and a portion of the apron11are shown broken away to show escalators51and52and landings55and56in full lines while escalators53and54and landings57and58are shown in dotted lines. To enter the aircraft35, a passenger may ride the escalator51to the landing55or ride the escalator52to the landing56and then use the ramp structure39or the ramp structure40to reach the aircraft. The ramp structures may be mechanized with a conveyor belt arrangement to provide a moving support that slowly carries a standing passenger, or a passenger on a wheel chair, up to the aircraft or down from the aircraft. Although not visible in the drawings, elevators are preferably provided for carrying handicapped persons or others to and from the landings55-58.

As is apparent from the preceding description and from what is shown in the drawings, the apron11has openings therein for the purpose of operating during daylight hours to allow ambient light to illuminate underlying spaces, each opening being below a light-transmitting frusto-spherical top wall of a dome structure38and thereby being circular in form. Such circular openings in apron11are also used in the loading and unloading of passengers. InFIG. 3, portions of the top wall of the dome structure38and portions of the apron11are shown broken away to show the escalators51and52in full lines and to demonstrate that lower ends of all four escalators51-54on the underground level are outside the space below the circular opening in apron11and that the escalators extend upwardly from the underground level and through the circular opening to upper ends that are adjacent the landings55-58. It will be understood that, as is conventional in airports, a loading or unloading operation is initiated and controlled by airport or airline personnel who, in the airport as disclosed, will be at an underground gate area where passengers are waiting. In a loading operation, passengers enter a lower end of one of the escalators51-54to move or be moved upwardly and through the circular opening in the apron11, to then move from the upper end of the escalator and onto one of the landings55-58and to then move or be moved through one of the ramp structures39-42to the aircraft. To be direct, as previously described, such movements can be uninterrupted. To be convenient, as also previously described, uninterrupted movements can continue until a suitable completion of the loading operation with all passengers to be loaded being safely in the aircraft. In an unloading operation, an uninterrupted movement of passengers can be in an opposite direction and reverse order, from an aircraft to an underground gate area, and can continue until all passengers to be unloaded are safely in the underground gate area.

FIG. 3also shows in broken lines the positions of walls of the lower passenger level. Walls61,62,63and64border a space under the illumination dome38that provides gate areas for loading/unloading of aircraft in the positions of aircrafts35and36. A corridor bordered by walls65and66, a second corridor bordered by walls67and68, a third corridor bordered by walls69and70and a fourth corridor bordered by walls71and72extend in four directions from the space under the illumination dome38. The corridor bordered by walls65and66and the corridor bordered by walls69and70form part of a corridor identifiable by reference character A as shown in FIG and previously discussed. Corridors such as those bordered by walls67and68and by walls71and72allow passengers to move from one to another of the previously discussed corridors A through F. Corridors are thus provided to allow passengers to walk from and to the terminal23and to walk between gates, as when transferring between flights, through distances which are relatively short as compared to those required in airports of conventional construction.

FIG. 4shows that no interference is encountered with movement of the aircraft35to and from its loading/unloading position from either the dome structure38or from the ramp structures39and40, when in inactive conditions, although such structures extend upwardly from the ground level.

FIGS. 4 and 5provide cross-sectional drawings of the apron11, of an underlying horizontal floor slab75which provides the floor of the passenger concourse and of a still lower floor slab76which provides the floor of corridors that underlie the corridors of the passenger concourse. Automated shuttles move on rails in such corridors to automatically carry passengers between gates and the terminal23and between gates and parking regions. Each shuttle may preferably have an “open top” construction. Access between corridors of the main passenger level and the underlying corridors may be provided by escalators such as escalators77and78as shown and by elevators, not shown, at appropriate locations. Alternatively, the shuttles may move on rails in the concourse level and bridges may be provided over intersecting corridors. In this case, the lower floor slab76may not be required.

FIGS. 4 and 5also show a tunnel80in which conveyors can be provided to carry baggage to and from locations from which baggage can be moved by additional conveyors to baggage-receiving openings in an aircraft in the position of aircraft35and of other aircraft at positions in rows B, C and D aligned with the position of aircraft35. Such additional conveyors may be pivotally moved from an inactive position out of the path of movement of aircraft and to an active position at which they are elevated, with movements similar to those described in connection with the passenger ramps39-43. It is noted that while tunnel80in the arrangement illustrated inFIG. 1will service only aircraft in the position of aircraft35and three others aligned therewith, other tunnels may service three pairs of aircraft. For example with reference toFIG. 1, a tunnel may be positioned to the right of aircraft36and midway between aircraft36and the aircraft immediately to its right.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of this invention.