Airfield Operations Simulation
Atkins was responsible for undertaking the simulation of the airfield operation at the Hong Kong International Airport using SIMMOD. SIMMOD is an airfield and airspace model that simulates the movement of aircraft through a network representing an airport and its surrounding airspace. By applying air traffic control and ground movement procedures, aircraft are programmed through the entire system until a flight is either terminated at an airport gate or has departed the airport's airspace.
The SIMMOD model was used to establish the need for, and layout of holding areas, taxiways, rapid exit taxiways and runways in order to ensure the effective and efficient movement of traffic at different phases of the airport's development. It also established the declared and saturation capacities of the airfield at each phase of development. The model also showed that the practical capacity of the two-runway system was very dependent on the mode of operation employed by the Air Traffic Controllers.
The SIMMOD model demonstrated that changes made to the Master Plan airfield pavement layout by Atkins not only reduced the total area of pavement but also increased the effectiveness of the airfield. |