When the contract for the design and construction of the T2A of Heathrow Airport was awarded in March 2010, Ferrovial Agroman boasted wide-ranging experience in the construction of airports. It had built, among others, the T4 in Barajas.
However, this award represented a challenge for the company. The T2A is one of the most attractive and exciting building projects being undertaken in Europe, not only for its unique features, size and complexity but for the economic situation in which Europe is immersed, says Pablo Riesco, the Project Director.
For Ferrovial Agroman, this award represents its largest contract in the UK and is crucial for its international expansion, as it consolidates its growth perspectives in this key market.
This is a complex project. The criteria of sustainability, versatility, functionality and minimisation of the impact of airport operations that have been applied in this venture have turned it into a landmark for Ferrovial Agroman.
A next-generation green terminal
In order to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% with regard to the previous construction, an efficient energy centre has been designed, supplied by renewable energy, which will regulate the HVAC system. The principal characteristic is the use of prefab modules that will contain the air conditioning, electricity and fire prevention installations, explains Teodoro Álvarez Fadon, the projects Technical Director.
Nor must we forget that the terminals wave-shaped roof design with northfacing roof lights captures a maximum of natural light in order to reduce the consumption of artificial light. In addition, 100% of the demolition material from the previous Terminal 2 and the adjacent Queens Building has been recycled to contribute to the sustainable works plan.
The new Terminal 2 is undergoing the buildings sustainability certification process (BREEAM), the most important and popular method in the industry, which evaluates environmental criteria during the buildings design, construction and operation phases.
Minimal impact on airport operations
The area where Ferrovial Agroman is carrying out the construction of the T2A is located in Heathrows strategic heart, between the two runways and the taxiways, which can register as much as two operations per minute. This location increases the projects complexity as it seeks to prevent any interference with the airports operations. Some of the measures developed to ensure safety and prevent interference with airport operations mean that the clearance height of obstacles and the visibility at the start of the runways has to be maintained and the use of cranes has to be reduced to a minimum. As for logistical needs, the provisioning of materials takes place via the only airport tunnel through which passengers and goods also have to pass.
20 million passengers annually
When the T2A is inaugurated in 2014, its 200,000 square metres will be able to process more than 20 million travellers per year. The design of the building analysed the movement of people, aircraft, materials and baggage in order to ensure greater fluidity without compromising security. In addition, the roof design will facilitate movement inside the terminal thanks to a user-friendly, intuitive layout.
The investment programme that BAA is implementing at Heathrow will allow 70% of travellers to use the new terminals by 2014, while the remaining 30% will pass through fully reformed terminals.
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