Abu Dhabi airport’s new Midfield Terminal project 55% complete – official

Abu Dhabi Airports has confirmed that work on its new Dhs 10.8bn Midfield Terminal Building is progressing on schedule and that the project is currently 55 per cent complete.

The announcement came as the process of de-propping the massive 20,000 tonne roof of the building began, a statement said.

The supporting structure for the central curved roof consists of 18 inclined arches of varying heights and a roof grillage.

When finished, the roof will be a free-standing structure which will feature the world’s longest indoor arch spanning 180m, at a height of 52m, with a weight of around 1000 tonnes.

It will give the impression that the structure is floating on the steel arches.

In the first of nine de-props, a team of 45 specialists with 60 hydraulic jacks removed 30 temporary supports used for constructing the roof.

The process is one of the most complex engineering feats of the project and is expected to be completed by February 2016, the statement added.

Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports Ali Majed Al Mansoori said: “It is truly amazing to witness this great progress. We are extremely proud to maintain our track record of achieving key construction milestones safely in spite of the project’s architectural complexity.

“Currently the whole project is 55 per cent complete and it is expected to be 70 per cent complete by the end of 2015,” he added.

The first base for the terminal’s roof structure, which holds nine symmetrical arch segments, was assembled in October 2013 while the construction of the first elements was completed early last year.

One of the movable mobile tower crane used during construction is the biggest of its kind ever used in the Middle East, the statement said.

Chief programs officer Sulaiman Al Siksek said: “We have an army of 20,000 workers on this 3.5 million sqm site, supported by a fleet of the latest construction equipment, including 24 tower and mobile cranes.

“The steelwork for the four piers is complete and good progress is already underway for the enclosure structure, including the glass curtain walling and roofing for the four piers.”

Once the building envelope and glazing for all four piers is finished later this year, the focus will move towards work on the inside of the building.

That includes fit-out, systems integration and other required infrastructure such as the baggage handling system, which will have the capacity to handle over 19,000 bags per hour through its 10 reclaim carousels and 27km of conveyors.

Construction of the 700,000 sqm terminal building is being carried out by a joint venture of TAV, CCC, and Arabtec.

Anticipated to be ready in July 2017, the new terminal will have the capacity to handle 30 million passengers a year, boosting Abu Dhabi International Airport’s annual capacity to over 45 million passengers.

Al Mansoori said: “The MTB is set to become the gateway to the capital city and plays an important role in raising the profile of Abu Dhabi as a world-class transportation hub.

“It is also contributing to the diversification of the emirate’s economy by fostering growth in other industries through increased connectivity.”