Ultraviolet Energy Protects Travelers at DFW Airport

The Challenge

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport needed a comprehensive, multilayered infection control strategy in response to COVID-19. UV-C disinfection fixtures were installed in 614 HVAC air handling units serving the airport's six passenger terminals and all public and non-public spaces, including TSA security checkpoints, ticket counters, gate areas and food courts. To help put the scale of this project into perspective: a typical office building has an AHU on each floor — so the DFW project was similar to outfitting the equivalent of 30, 20-story office buildings with UV-C disinfection fixtures. The upgrade also required more than 3,600 UV-C lamps, or about ten times the number of lights used to illuminate Dallas' iconic Reunion Tower Ball. All of this demand occurred at a time when pandemic supply chains pushed the conventional two to four week delivery timeline to upwards of 20 weeks virtually overnight.

The Solution

A $7.5 million UV-C air disinfection initiative was executed. The RLM Xtreme fixtureless UV-C lamp system was selected for its high-output performance and installation versatility. Designed for high-volume HVAC environments, the versatile RLM Xtreme can be installed in almost any position to generate 360-degree high-output UV-C irradiation to inactivate bacteria, viruses, molds, and other pathogens — including antibiotic-resistant superbugs. The uniform 360-degree distribution provides the best air treatment effectiveness and is consistent with ASHRAE Handbook guidance. Teams from Manhattan Construction, Texas AirSystems, DFW Electric, and MEPC consulting engineers delivered the project despite unprecedented supply chain pressure. The UV-C technology aligns with innovative projects like touchless fixtures in Smart Restrooms and targeted sanitization by cleaning Strike Teams throughout all five terminals.