Chatt Tech Aviation Academy

Chattahoochee Technical College’s new Aviation Training Academy is located near Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport in Dallas, Georgia. This Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) project includes a three-story, 55,000-square-foot academic building and a one-story, 12,000-square-foot, pre-engineered metal aircraft hangar. The project also features instructional labs, classrooms, a technical library, and an administrative wing to provide a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) testing lab and college faculty offices.

Croy was responsible for the civil design of the site layout, utility design, grading, drainage and coordination with multiple stakeholders. The site’s location presented several unique challenges for our design team. To begin, the proposed building was tucked into a steep hill with an existing water tower on top of it. The team made a significant cut into the hill while ensuring no damage was done to the structure of the water tower. In addition, the stilling pond utilized for discharging of the water tower was also relocated. Next, plane access to the academy hangars was critical, and Croy dealt with significant terrain and strict requirements on allowable slopes. To ensure access to the runway, the completed building includes 18-foot step in floors. Finally, the team needed to incorporate various FAA-required elements into the site layout, such as two separate parking areas, relocation of the airport wildlife fence, and a concrete apron for plane access.

Multiple stakeholders were involved in this project, and effective communication was key to the project’s success. Croy was responsible for coordination with the College, Paulding County, Airport Authority, City of Dallas, Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission (GSFIC), and the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). In addition, the project was the result of Croy’s successful collaboration and partnership with Winter Construction (provided construction services) and CROFT & Associates (provided architecture services).