Construction crews started working on temporary AquaFence barriers designed to shield airfield lighting equipment from storm surge during high-level hurricanes.
TAMPA, Fla. — Construction crews at Tampa International Airport (TPA) have begun installing a nine-foot temporary flood barrier system. This new AquaFence is designed to protect equipment that keeps airfield lighting operational during major hurricanes, airport officials told 10 Tampa Bay News.
The barriers are AquaFence’s tallest model. The company makes international high-performance deployable flood barriers to protect airports, hospitals, Fortune 500 companies and other institutions.
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According to the airport, the barriers are built to withstand storm surge from a hurricane up to Category 4 strength.
Crews are constructing the temporary barriers around the airport’s two airfield electrical vaults, which are located near Airside A, adjacent to Tampa Fire Rescue’s Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Station. The vaults house machinery that powers lighting across the airfield.
Eric Caplan, Sustainability and Resilience Program Director at Tampa International Airport, said protecting the vaults from flooding is essential to restarting airport operations after a major storm, since airfield lighting is necessary to keep aircraft moving, particularly at night.
Beyond operational disruptions, Caplan said flooding could cause extensive financial damage.
“[It] has an economic impact that’s hard to even quantify,” Caplan said. “But the actual asset itself, we’re talking about tens of millions of dollars of equipment to replace. We’re talking close to a year of lead time for equipment to replace as well. We would be very limited in our operation if this asset were to go down.”
The barriers will remain in storage at the airport until a storm threat emerges, at which point a contracted emergency response team can install them in 8-12 hours, Caplan said.
Caplan added that the airport could play a role in regional disaster recovery efforts beyond its own operations of stewarding passengers to-and-from their homes during hurricane season.
“We know that we may be serving as a airfield for supply delivery as well,” Caplan said. “That’s why keeping the airfield up, ready and lighted as quick as possible is so important.”
The broader $1.9 million project also includes electrical and drainage improvements, new fencing and additional pumps intended to keep storm surge away from the buildings. The project is expected to be completed mid-August.