Author Topic: Airport question (Read 349 times)

nirvana · « **on:** November 27, 2006, 08:35:02 PM »

I was looking around DIA tonight and saw these hills or holes, I can't tell, at Denver International. Some are in 2 like these

and others are alone. (The top one looks blacked out, don't know why)

I was just wondering if anyone knew what they were, couldn't find them at any other major airports (LAX, La Guardia, JFK, etc).

BlueJ1 · « **Reply #1 on:** November 27, 2006, 08:38:28 PM »

Construction to add fuel tanks?

Around here they have them at the Ford plant so if one of the towers, that holds something bad used in stamping, breaks or leaks the spill will be contained. Every once in awhile you'll see the local fire department practicing filling the hole with foam.

nirvana · « **Reply #2 on:** November 27, 2006, 08:44:41 PM »

Ah could be, some are rather murky, others are dark. The placing looks random too, some by the taxiways, others on the side of the tarmac.

Also if you check Lake Baikal in Russia there's large strip of something that goes across the mountains and fades into the water, looks weird.

BlueJ1 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 27, 2006, 08:49:57 PM »

What about drainage from the runways?

I like this idea best.

sluggish · « **Reply #4 on:** November 27, 2006, 09:27:26 PM »

They look like plastic lined berms around fuel tanks to contain leaks. I wonder though why the top one has been blacked out...

Here's one without the plastic lining-

Dago · « **Reply #5 on:** November 27, 2006, 10:11:05 PM »

Very possibly water runoff retention ponds. Sometimes needed when large areas of land are developed, especially in a place like Denver where de-ice glycol is sprayed in large quantities on aircraft.

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 27, 2006, 10:31:13 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Dago
Very possibly water runoff retention ponds. Sometimes needed when large areas of land are developed, especially in a place like Denver where de-ice glycol is sprayed in large quantities on aircraft.

I was thinking same thing:D

JB88 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 27, 2006, 10:33:40 PM »

they could be retention ponds for irrigation as well.

the local mall here has one...so do some of the golf courses.

Debonair · « **Reply #8 on:** November 28, 2006, 12:04:39 AM »

thats where they store the jetwash

FBBone · « **Reply #9 on:** November 28, 2006, 12:27:42 AM »

But...what about the propwash????????????

JB88 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 28, 2006, 12:28:59 AM »

hogwash?

Masherbrum · « **Reply #11 on:** November 28, 2006, 12:56:24 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by nirvana
Also if you check Lake Baikal in Russia there's large strip of something that goes across the mountains and fades into the water, looks weird.

IIRC, the Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill was constructed directly on the shore line. The BPPM bleaches its paper with chlorine and discharges the waste into Baikal. Despite numerous protests, the BPPM is still in production. Environmental activists are now in a struggle to make the pollution less harmful rather than end BPPM's production since a plant shutdown would be problematic due to local socioeconomic issues.

Nothing like destroying the oldest geological lake in the world. It has been estimated at 25-30 million old.

Dago · « **Reply #12 on:** November 28, 2006, 04:30:17 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by JB88
they could be retention ponds for irrigation as well.

the local mall here has one...so do some of the golf courses.

Can't say I have ever noticed an airport irrigating. And I have been to a bunch of them.

JB88 · « **Reply #13 on:** November 28, 2006, 04:37:49 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Dago
Can't say I have ever noticed an airport irrigating. And I have been to a bunch of them.

its just a guess. i hadnt seen it in practice alot until recently, but it is gaining in popularity.

when i say irrigating, i mean, watering the grass, not farm style irrigation.

lots of airports have lots of grass around their runways an around their buildings...so that was why i guessed it was that.

Dago · « **Reply #14 on:** November 28, 2006, 06:56:21 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by JB88
its just a guess. i hadnt seen it in practice alot until recently, but it is gaining in popularity.

when i say irrigating, i mean, watering the grass, not farm style irrigation.

lots of airports have lots of grass around their runways an around their buildings...so that was why i guessed it was that.

Could be, some airports are pretty nice where the public can see.

I still think it is more probably related to glycol runoff. De-icing single a jet can dump 100s of gallons of the fluid into drains. This must be dealt with following appropriate laws and regulations.