Case Study - Calgary Airport Expansion

Project Overview

Calgary International Airport’s massive upgrade plan began in 2004 and is scheduled to be completed by 2024. Improvements will be done to its loading bridges, major passenger terminal upgrades, a new internal road system will be implemented and additional air freight facilities will be added. Moreover, in the spring of 2010 the Calgary Airport Authority announced it would spend $2.4 billion over the next five years to expand its facilities to have a 24-aircraft gate, elongate its runways to have the longest runway in Canada, and add a new air traffic control tower.

Along with these upgrades, Calgary's airport will be Canada's first GoGreen airport, implementing leading edge initiatives and technologies.

Safety and Exit Signs

Everyone in commercial and apartment buildings know to look for the EXIT SIGN during a fire drill. Those glowing red signs that say EXIT or SORTIE lead to a safe exit passage during an emergency. But common sense tells us that the colour red means to stop. The change in this life safety system was mandated by the National Building Code in 2010 and affects new buildings and those existing buildings undergoing major renovation. As of 2015 in Alberta, exit signs are required be green in colour and will use the international Running Man symbol with no language to indicate an exit passage.

Accu-Flo was proud to have provided Canada’s brand-new, most technologically-advanced airport terminal with Ecoglo’s photoluminescent exit signs. Ecoglo RMA Exit signs are a part of the approximately two-million square foot facility – the equivalent of 34 NFL football fields. The new Terminal more than doubles the airport’s size.

Ecoglo Photoluminescent signs offer the following safety advantages over powered EXIT signs:

• Ecoglo signs are certified visible and legible for 120 minutes operation. That is, after a 120 minute black out, they are seen from the certified distance. However, in reality fully charged Ecoglo signs will glow visibly for up to 48 hours.
• Ecoglo signs do not require maintenance to ensure safe operation (other than occasional dusting). Lights near the egress must be maintained and be on when the building is occupied to charge the signs.
• Ecoglo signs never fail to operate because Ecoglo is comprised of photoluminescent material. Whenever the lights go out, they operate on a physical reaction, which means they are inherently fail-safe. This physical reaction can be repeated an infinite number of times without wear or degradation to the products.

The new terminal added 24 new aircraft gates for International and U.S. destinations, new Canada and U.S. customs facilities and a 318-room in-terminal hotel. There are new ways to connect passengers through YYC’s expanded facilities including a Connections Corridor, which features the YYC LINK passenger shuttle, a compact transit system that moves passengers and their bags from concourse to concourse in just a few minutes.

Accu-Flo was excited to have been a part of the airport’s largest expansion in its history by providing Ecoglo exit and safety signs.