News: Heathrow Terminal 5 reaches half way point
Flights > News > # 326 (09/03/2005)
Two iconic structures at Heathrow – its impressive new terminal building and elegant air traffic control tower - have just been raised to their full respective heights. They offer a new and historic skyline at the world's busiest international airport as the Terminal 5 (T5) construction programme passes its halfway mark on schedule.
T5 managing director, Tony Douglas said:
"These landmark buildings illustrate the transformation that is happening at Heathrow. While we are investing £4.2bn in the new terminal development, a further £3bn is also being spent over the next seven years on improving the existing airport facilities.
"Two and a half years into construction and over 50 per cent complete, we have already spent £2bn and will be spending approximately £80m a month during this coming year. Hitting the half way mark within budget and ahead of schedule is a massive achievement and testimony to the talent of everyone involved in this project. We currently have over 4,000 workers on-site and I am extremely proud of the fact that we have now exceeded our nominal safety goal of zero reportable accidents per million man-hours on three occasions, and that 75 per cent of our workforce believe this is the safest construction site they have ever worked on."
Raising the roof: The main terminal building
Of Brunellian proportion, this spectacular single span structure creates a flexible internal space, which will provide a bright and airy environment for passengers with spectacular views through-out the interior of the building. Work began to raise the roof in April last year when the first of six 2,500 tonne steel sections was lifted 39m into the air. Each 117m arch section was assembled at ground level and the roofing components fitted before being jacked up approximately 40m to their final position. Assembling the roof at a low level reduced the risks of working at height, and allowed cranes to operate inside the radar zone imposed on the construction team by the airport operations.
Almost 12 months and five subsequent lifting operations later, the dramatic roof is fully in place and gives a real sense of the scale of the building. 26,000 tonnes of steel make up the internal superstructure, which is currently being installed at an average rate of 700 tonnes per week.
Reaching for the sky: The Air Traffic Control tower
The air traffic control tower also had to be assembled in a way which minimised disruption to airport operations. The top 27m portion of the tower – including the visual control room – was constructed and partially fitted-out on a site near Terminal 4. This 900 tonne section was then moved, almost 2 km across the southern runway and airfield to its final site adjacent to Terminal 3.
Since January, six steel mast sections have been slotted under the cab to raise it skywards to its full height of 87m – more than double the height of the existing control tower.
Designed by Richard Rogers Partnership, the £50 million air traffic control tower will feature the latest technology and offer Heathrow's controllers a 360 degree cone of vision - the best viewing capability of any control tower in the world, when it becomes operational in 2006.
Major Milestones already reached since work began on T5 in July 2002
For further information contact Heathrow Press Office on 0208 745 7224
Notes to Editors
Owned and operated by BAA plc, Heathrow airport is the busiest international airport in the world. Today, Heathrow handles 67 million passengers a year, but its original infrastructure was designed for far less. On 30 March 2008 BAA will open the door's to its fifth terminal, one of the world's most advanced new airport facilities.
Preparatory work began on the £4.2 billion Terminal 5 development in Summer 2002. Currently one of Europe's biggest and most complex construction programmes, it includes two terminal buildings, a network of over 13km of bored tunnels, a new air traffic control tower, airfield infrastructure, a 4000 space multi-story car park and a hotel. Just over 3000 construction workers are currently employed on the project, but a total of 50,000 people will have been part of this project overall.
Key suppliers working for BAA on the T5 roof are:
· Concept architect Richard Rogers Partnership
· Structural engineer Arup & Partners
· Production Architect HOK
· Principal Civils contractor Laing O'Rourke
· Principal contractor MACE
· Steel manufacture Watson Steel – a subsidiary of Severfield-Rowen
· Roof coverings Hathaway Roofing Ltd
· Temporary steel work design Rolton Group
· Lifting specialist Fagioli PSC
Air Traffic Control Tower
· Principal architect Richard Rogers Partnership
· Structural engineer Arup & Partners
· Construction management MACE
· Principal Civils contractor Laing O'Rourke
· Steel manufacture Watson Steel – a subsidiary of Severfield-Rowen
· Lifting & temporary works design Rolton Group
· Transportation & lifting contractor Fagioli PSC
Lift supervision
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