Abu Dhabi International Airport Midfield Terminal Project
Developer: Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC)
Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF)
Consultants/Engineers: ARUP / NACO / BNP
CMA: AECOM
Main Contractor: TCA Joint Venture (TAV Tepe Akfen Yatirim / Consolidated Contracting Engineering / Arabtec Construction)
Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF)
Consultants/Engineers: ARUP / NACO / BNP
CMA: AECOM
Main Contractor: TCA Joint Venture (TAV Tepe Akfen Yatirim / Consolidated Contracting Engineering / Arabtec Construction)
At a glance, extract from MTC fact sheet:
Arch Span: Largest arch 180m
Roof span: 319m at widest point
Ceiling height: 52m at highest point
External cladding: 275,000m2
External glazing: 115,000m2
Concrete: 667,300m3
Foundation piles: 7,425no
Structural steel: 69,000 tonnes
Arch Span: Largest arch 180m
Roof span: 319m at widest point
Ceiling height: 52m at highest point
External cladding: 275,000m2
External glazing: 115,000m2
Concrete: 667,300m3
Foundation piles: 7,425no
Structural steel: 69,000 tonnes
Extract from ARUP Pier Glazed Curtain Wall Specification:
The project involves the construction of Abu Dhabi International Airport's new Midfield Terminal Complex. The Midfield Terminal Complex is an entirely new development sited between the two runways, and west of the cross-field taxiway up to the airport boundary at the E-10 Highway, this is referred to as the 'MTC Box'.
The provision of adequate airport capacity is essential to Abu Dhabi's economic growth, which is heavily dependent on a high quality transportation network and the free movement of goods and people.
On plan, the new terminal resembles a gently curved “X”. At the centre is the main roof and the “X” shape is defined by the Piers. The building’s main roof adopts a strategy of creating an over-arching cover that shields a hotel, an administrative building, retail outlets, lounges, check-in facilities and security as well as a public garden.
The sheer size of the roof, over 360 metres long and 320 metres wide gives it a monumental feel, resonating with the sky above. The fact that the roof is supported by some very long spanning arches give it a light feel that further accentuates the floating nature of this roof. The draping shapes along the Piers create the surface that protects the building from the sun. The roof surface is effectively pulled down across the building face, and so creates a solid insulated surface protecting its inhabitants. This is done gradually and in a controlled way, to frame the glass surfaces in a graceful, arch-shaped frame. These shapes in turn become framing elements for the views to the airside and beyond. The repetition of these arched shaped forms creates an undulation along the length of the Pier.
This continuous move up and down thus becomes an echo of the desert dune forms indigenous to the Emirates. The draping surface comes down and
gently touches the ground, giving a sense that the building is emerging from that same ground.
The project involves the construction of Abu Dhabi International Airport's new Midfield Terminal Complex. The Midfield Terminal Complex is an entirely new development sited between the two runways, and west of the cross-field taxiway up to the airport boundary at the E-10 Highway, this is referred to as the 'MTC Box'.
The provision of adequate airport capacity is essential to Abu Dhabi's economic growth, which is heavily dependent on a high quality transportation network and the free movement of goods and people.
On plan, the new terminal resembles a gently curved “X”. At the centre is the main roof and the “X” shape is defined by the Piers. The building’s main roof adopts a strategy of creating an over-arching cover that shields a hotel, an administrative building, retail outlets, lounges, check-in facilities and security as well as a public garden.
The sheer size of the roof, over 360 metres long and 320 metres wide gives it a monumental feel, resonating with the sky above. The fact that the roof is supported by some very long spanning arches give it a light feel that further accentuates the floating nature of this roof. The draping shapes along the Piers create the surface that protects the building from the sun. The roof surface is effectively pulled down across the building face, and so creates a solid insulated surface protecting its inhabitants. This is done gradually and in a controlled way, to frame the glass surfaces in a graceful, arch-shaped frame. These shapes in turn become framing elements for the views to the airside and beyond. The repetition of these arched shaped forms creates an undulation along the length of the Pier.
This continuous move up and down thus becomes an echo of the desert dune forms indigenous to the Emirates. The draping surface comes down and
gently touches the ground, giving a sense that the building is emerging from that same ground.
ADAC website link: www.adac.ae/english/mtp/
The building envelope package covers all glass and ACP cladding to the entire building and link bridges, both to the main car park and also to the planes, and also includes all the secondary steel structure needed as part of the envelope package.
All glass is designed to meet the high temperature and light transmission factors associated with the Middle East, with an enhanced shading produced via an increasing percentage frit pattern as the level from ground increases, to mitigate excessive glare and heat gain.
All cladding is using Middle East approved fire retardant cladding panels to meet the new strict regulations to eliminate the risk of spread of flame in the event of a fire.
The façade system to the main processor came with special design performance requirements of bomb blast load resistance. To achieve this a bespoke unitised façade system was developed with integral bomb blast clip technology, and the structural silicone bonding zone increased to ensure the glass panels remain in place in the event of a blast scenario, thus providing extra security and protection to the public in all areas adjacent to the arrivals and departures zone.
The main departure façade spans an area in excess of 550m in length, and upto 55m in height, whilst also transposing itself from a vertical façade on the gable returns, to a 14.5 degree inclined from vertical façade on the main face. This creates a very complex 3-dimensional design to the corner area whereby the geometry needed to be modelled to ensure that a 2-dimensional panel fabrication could be made to fit a 3-dimensional design intent.
As with all projects, close coordination is needed at all stages of the development to mitigate the risk of problems, this being made easier by the implementation of a fully coordinated BIM design with all sub-contract parties adding their respective designs, and all issues being resolved prior to fabrication.
Due to the complex design, the project has suffered delays, but though the efforts of the building envelope façade and steel teams, huge progress has been made in the shortest period, with a workforce in excess of 1000 working day and night, with multiple cranes and MEWPs deployed across the entire elevation of the main processor to facilitate the installation of over 1000t of steel and 11,000m2 of glazing in less than 6 months, with the latest 7000m2 being installed in less than 40 days!
All glass is designed to meet the high temperature and light transmission factors associated with the Middle East, with an enhanced shading produced via an increasing percentage frit pattern as the level from ground increases, to mitigate excessive glare and heat gain.
All cladding is using Middle East approved fire retardant cladding panels to meet the new strict regulations to eliminate the risk of spread of flame in the event of a fire.
The façade system to the main processor came with special design performance requirements of bomb blast load resistance. To achieve this a bespoke unitised façade system was developed with integral bomb blast clip technology, and the structural silicone bonding zone increased to ensure the glass panels remain in place in the event of a blast scenario, thus providing extra security and protection to the public in all areas adjacent to the arrivals and departures zone.
The main departure façade spans an area in excess of 550m in length, and upto 55m in height, whilst also transposing itself from a vertical façade on the gable returns, to a 14.5 degree inclined from vertical façade on the main face. This creates a very complex 3-dimensional design to the corner area whereby the geometry needed to be modelled to ensure that a 2-dimensional panel fabrication could be made to fit a 3-dimensional design intent.
As with all projects, close coordination is needed at all stages of the development to mitigate the risk of problems, this being made easier by the implementation of a fully coordinated BIM design with all sub-contract parties adding their respective designs, and all issues being resolved prior to fabrication.
Due to the complex design, the project has suffered delays, but though the efforts of the building envelope façade and steel teams, huge progress has been made in the shortest period, with a workforce in excess of 1000 working day and night, with multiple cranes and MEWPs deployed across the entire elevation of the main processor to facilitate the installation of over 1000t of steel and 11,000m2 of glazing in less than 6 months, with the latest 7000m2 being installed in less than 40 days!