TEMPORARY FLIGHT CONNECTION CENTRE (FCC) and VCC
| Client: | HAL |
| Main Contractor: | Mace |
| Sector: | Aviation |
| Steel: | 400 te |
| Completed: | 2014 – 2015 |
| Location: | London |
| Scope: | Structural Steelwork Cladding Ancillaries |
| Services: | Detailing Connection Design Fabrication Site Installation Modularisation Offsite Prefabrication Airside Installation |
| Keywords: | Quickway Portal Panels Kee Walk Walkway Precast Concrete Planks Offsite Intumescent |
Project Background
We supplied and installed the superstructure to form a temporary facility on existing Airport Stand 323, part of a business critical project to Heathrow Airport within the footprint of Terminal 3. With a total footprint covering approximately 4,000 square metres on the live apron, the Temporary Flight Connection Centre (FCC) and Vertical Circulation Corridor (VCC) served 9,000 passengers a day for two years.
The Temporary FCC building centred around the Level 10 Security Hall, formed by prefabricated portal frames supported on a box truss spine, with two enclosed steel stair towers.
The Temporary VCC was built using prefabricated steel modules to form passenger access corridors linking the FCC to the existing main terminal.
Supply and Fabrication
We fully utilised our fabrication shop in Teesside to maximise the potential for prefabricating as much of the Bryden Wood-designed structure as possible.
We preassembled nineteen VCC corridor modules comprising of hot rolled box truss frames, the largest frame weighing in excess of 18.0 tonnes (approximately 10.6 metres long by 4.0 metres wide and 3.2 metres high).
The full build-up of the modules in our facility included: primary steelwork, Kingspan roofing and wall cladding, soffit cladding, acoustic infill ceiling planks, plywood flooring, marmoleum tiles, cold rolled SFS partitions, acrylic sheeting, and plasterboard.
Our in-house project team then managed the transportation from our Teesside fabrication workshop to Heathrow Terminal 3.
We further prefabricated the central truss spine in approximately six sections weighing up to 21 tonnes each at 14.5 metres long.
Site Installation
We completed the site installation on a live aircraft apron requiring careful consideration of aircraft movements and airside security restrictions. The project achieved all milestone dates throughout the construction phases.
We completed the module installation using a 220T crane, while our in-house management coordinated the installation of forty-four Quickway prefabricated portal frame panels centrally supported from the truss spine.
Our off-site assembly enabled an efficient installation process with quick on-site installation of modules, trestles, the spine, and Quickway portal sections, reducing any impact on airport operations and allowing a quick opening of the temporary facility.
The temporary structure has since been demobilised and demolished by others, and the existing apron returned to stand following completion of the Permanent Flight Connection Centre (FCC) constructed by FJ Booth.
