CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

Construction management and tendering

Construction Problems of Heathrow Terminal 5

Introduction

Heathrow Terminal 5 is certainly one of the most striking examples of airport architecture in the early twenty-first century, an important project in the works RSHP of the Centre Pompidou in 1970's and Lloyd's of London in 1980s (Taylor, 1974, 58).

It is designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, BAA Terminal 5, with an investment of 6,100 million euros (4,300 million pounds), is the most important milestone in the modernization of Heathrow Airport. The terminal, with capacity for 35 million passengers per year will be the first path to the UK and will for the first time since 1984 to redefine the passenger traffic at the airport. T5, which opens next March 27, 2008, will be occupied by British Airways. The premiere terminal passengers come from a flight from Hong Kong on a BA plane. Estimated 40,000 passengers can pass through T5 on its first day of opening (Halpenny, 1992, 68). Its cost is equal to 50 pitches of football which includes its five floors. British airways wanted it to be technological advanced, so they decided to use fingerprint checks to speed up security. During the construction, this remarkable terminal faced many problems out of which few are discussed. Those problems were the reason why its opening was not smooth.

Discussion

Design of Terminal 5

Terminal 5 consists of three main buildings: the main terminal building, Terminal 5 A, and two smaller satellite buildings: Terminal 5 Terminal 5 B and C (the works he completed in 2010). The three are interconnected by an experimental system. Its design combines the functionality of a modern airport terminal with the best possible comfort for passengers with minimal environmental impact, easy maintenance and a world-class architecture.

The terminal building is arranged on different levels, reaching the exits at the top level under the impressive span deck unique. The roof, along with the steel and glass facades, which have a slope of 6.5 degrees, give the building its unique perspective. In the departure lounge, passengers can check in any of the 96 self-service check stations or desks in the 140, including 96 positions Checkout (Gallop, 2005, 46).

The baggage system

The baggage system at Terminal 5 is highly sophisticated but has been designed to perform its function reliably. It consists of two complementary systems: a host of baggage handling and a fast second system, superimposed. The fast system allows circumventing the primary classifier to carry luggage or delayed emergency aircraft positions.

Sustainability

It uses waste heat obtained by a cogeneration process to satisfy 85% of heating demand in the terminals. This eliminates the emission of approximately 11,000 tonnes of CO2 a year. Inside the terminal, the plant uses a heating and ventilation system are energy efficient and rational criteria designed for air-conditioning throughout the terminal building (Bray, 1993, 5). The cooling water is supplied from refrigeration units that use ammonia as a refrigerant and does not produce CO2. The plant also incorporates a natural cooling cycle that can take outside air when external ...