Later this month, construction is scheduled to begin on the country’s first business park specifically for unmanned aircraft.
The Associated Press reports that the first order of business for Grand Sky Development Corp., the park’s manager, will be building an eight-foot-high security chain link fence, with barbed wire at the top, to surround 200 acres adjacent to the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota.
Last week, the 1.2-million-sf Grand Sky aerospace technology park—one of six sites designated by the Federal Aviation Administration for drone testing—was awarded $5.6 million from the state. North Dakota has already invested more than $30 million at this park, which recently added Northrup Grumman as its second anchor tenant, along with General Atomics. North Dakota’s legislature has appropriated $4.4 million for Grand Sky’s future development.
The contract for constructing the fence, which had been planned since 2011, was awarded to Grand Forks-based iconHD, whose parent company is ICON Architectural Group.
Thomas Swoyer, Jr., Grand Sky Development’s president, says the fence is “symbolic,” in that it will “define the park space and give us the ability to control our own access to it.”
General Atomics has signed a tentative agreement to establish an unmanned aerial systems training academy at the park.
In the summer of 2014, FAA announced the selection of the six public entities that would develop unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research at test sites around the country. One of these is the North Dakota Department of Commerce, which was issued a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) to begin using a Draganflyer X4ES small UAS at its Northern Plains Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site.
Other drone test-site operators include:
• The University of Alaska, which was issued a COA that authorized flights by an Aeryon Scout small UAS for animal surveys at the university’s Pan-Pacific UAS Test Range Complex in Fairbanks. That authorization encompasses test ranges in Hawaii, Oregon, Kansas, and Tennessee.
• The State of Nevada, which was authorized to test an onsite ScanEagle drone at the Desert Rock Airport located in Mercury, Nev. Desert Rock Airport is a private airport owned and operated by the Department of Energy. The ScanEagle flies at or below 3,000 feet.
• Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi plans to develop safety requirement for UAS vehicles. It is authorized to use an AAAI RS-16 UAS, which weights about 85 pounds and has a wingspan of almost 13 feet.
• Griffiss International Airport is authorized to test at a site in Rome, N.Y. One drone is a PrecisionHawk Lancaster Platform UAS that weighs about three pounds and has a wingspan of four feet. Texas-based HoverStat, which develops technology to use small drones for measuring roofs for solar panel installation, reportedly decided to choose Syracuse as a testing location because the Rome site was nearby.
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute is conducting failure mode testing with a Smart Road Flyer, a low cost, low risk multi-rotor UAS being developed to support research in vehicle and highway systems. Other UAS models being tested include an eSPAARO, Aeryon Sky Ranger, MANTRA2, Sig Rascal, and two AVID EDF-8 micro UASs.
At this site, the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership—a part of Greene’s Institute—has spearheaded drone research. The Virginia Tech site is partnered with the University of Maryland and Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration waived the authorization process for the agency’s six nationwide drone test sites that had required clearance before moving forward with research exercises at or below 200 feet.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
High-profit design firms invest in in-house training
Forty-three percent of high-profit architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms have in-house training staff, according to a study by ZweigWhite. The 2008-2009 Successful Firm Survey reports that only 36% of firms overall have in-house training staff. In addition, 52% of high-profit firms use an online training system or service.
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, HDR top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 100 largest institutional building design firms
A ranking of the Top 100 Institutional Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Walt Disney Family Museum planned in San Francisco
Construction is under way on a new museum dedicated to the man behind the Disney empire. Set to open this fall in San Francisco, the Walt Disney Family Museum will feature 10 galleries, starting with Disney's beginnings on a Missouri farm.
| Aug 11, 2010
Polshek Partnership unveils design for University of North Texas business building
New York-based architect Polshek Partnership today unveiled its design scheme for the $70 million Business Leadership Building at the University of North Texas in Denton. Designed to provide UNT’s 5,400-plus business majors the highest level of academic instruction and professional training, the 180,000-sf facility will include an open atrium, an internet café, and numerous study and tutoring rooms—all designed to help develop a spirit of collaboration and team-oriented focus.
| Aug 11, 2010
Callison, MulvannyG2 among nation's largest retail design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 75 Retail Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
ASHRAE releases free BIM introductory guide
A newly released guide from ASHRAE on building information models and building information modeling (BIM) serves as a resource for professionals considering BIM tools and applications for their businesses. According to "An Introduction to Building Information Modeling," BIM is “a digital representation of the physical and the functional characteristics of a facility.” Unlike 2D or 3D CAD, BIM software utilizes intelligent objects to create models.
| Aug 11, 2010
BIM research: New IPD document quantifies savings, shows obstacles
The American Institute of Architects and the AIA California Council have released the results of “Integrated Project Delivery: Case Studies,” a collection of six studies that showcases the process changes and efficiencies of completed building projects that utilized and implemented IPD. IPD is a construction project model in which owners, design professionals, and general contracto...
| Aug 11, 2010
Take the hassle out of managing subcontractors
As general contractors look to technology for an edge in the slowing commercial construction market, Web-based bidding programs are helping them to connecting bid information, subcontractors, and proposals. A 2008 survey by the Construction Financial Management Association found that 62% of general contractors participated in Web-based construction bidding vs.