Transformation At Gatwick
18 January 2010
At Gatwick Airport, Costain is engaged in a number of
projects designed to make it easier for travellers to enjoy the
experience when they fly in or out from the summer of 2010.
Costain is currently constructing two infrastructure projects
forming part of Gatwick's North Terminal Landside Development
Programme. The £20million North Terminal Interchange (NTI)
will see a new passenger interchange facility and station
constructed for the train that shuttles between the North and South
Terminals. The £5million North Terminal Forecourt (NTF) project,
meanwhile, involves remodelling roads to improve vehicle capacity
in front of the terminal and meet new airport security
requirements.
Construction of the new train station for the NTI required
demolition of the existing station structure then building a
replacement around the existing tracks. The works immediately
adjacent to the tracks have been undertaken within a five-month
possession of the railway infrastructure. Construction
involves installation of 250 piles, 30 pile caps, 850 tonnes of
structural steelwork, 3000 m² of inflated ETFE roofing, a vertical
transportation system, plus associated mechanical, electrical and
building management systems. Features within the new station
will include two 75 metre long travelators, two escalators and 10
new lifts, says Brendan Conlon, Project Director for the NTI &
NTF projects.
The new structure will provide direct access from the arrivals
and departures concourses within the airport terminal building to
the new train station, multi-storey car parks 5 and 6, the
passenger pick-up and set-down facilities and the adjacent Sofitel
Hotel.
Although it will have rain screens and wind protection, plus
shelter from existing buildings such as the adjacent multi-storey
car park, the new station will essentially be open-sided. At around
100 metres long by 60 metres wide and 20 metres high "it will
provide a clean, light, airy, low maintenance space that will
provide the airport's passengers with an impressive first
impression of the terminal building," says Conlon.
In terms of complexities, the proximity of other, operational
airport facilities is "a significant engineering challenge", he
says.
"At the east side there is the airport hotel and we are
literally digging up their front doorstep and reconstructing their
hotel reception area. To the south, the new structural steelwork is
just 30cm away from the existing multi-storey car park. Immediately
to the west is the existing road and passenger drop-off and pick-up
point. To the north are temporary buildings for airport
engineering and maintenance staff. The only barrier between
us and the public and airport operations is the site perimeter
hoarding."
As if that is not enough, airport engineering workshops and
engineering maintenance facilities occupied the lower floor of the
original station building. This section of the building is fully
retained and incorporated within the new structure and is directly
beneath the demolition and subsequent new build works. This section
of the building remained occupied by airport operations staff until
September 2009.
Work on the station began last April and, although some delays
have led to re-sequencing of the work, Conlon is confident the
projects will be completed and handed over on schedule. The
first contract milestone to be met was handing back the first train
track to the train operator on 20 January. The completion of the
NTI is planned for 30 April 2010.
Alongside this work, the North Terminal Forecourt project
involves realignment and re-construction of the existing airport
roads, plus drop-off zones and bus lay-by facilities and provides a
minimum 30 metre security buffer zone between public vehicles and
the front of the terminal building. The NTF project is primarily to
improve airport passenger capacity and increased security in the
light of the abortive terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport two years
ago when a vehicle tried to ram into the terminal building's
frontage.
Through a combination of open communication with all
stakeholders and a pro-active and flexible approach adopted by
Costain and Gatwick Airport, the site team has been able to deliver
this prestigious project with minimal disruption to ongoing airport
operations, the public and stakeholders.