Dublin Airport Expansion, Republic of Ireland

In October 2006, Dublin Airport received planning permission to build a new multi-million-euro terminal. Fingal County Council gave airport officials authorisation to begin work on what will be the airport's second terminal, capable of dealing with 15 million passengers a year.

The investment into the new terminal is $395 million (£265 million), and work began in mid-2007 with construction set to be complete within three years.

When the new terminal is complete, Dublin Airport will have a capacity of 35 million passengers a year and an extra 20 aircraft boarding gates (50% increase in size). Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) began the process of gaining planning permission for the new terminal in July 2005.

The program is part of a two billion dollar development program (ten-year capital investment programme) for Dublin Airport being undertaken in the period up to 2020 (Transforming Dublin Airport programme).

DUBLIN AIRPORT PLANNING PROCESS

In 2004, Aer Rianta appointed PM (project management) Group to prepare a master plan for Dublin International Airport for the period up until 2020. Passenger numbers are expected to increase from the 2002 level of 15 million a year to 30 million a year by 2020.

For the 'terminal expansion 2020' master plan PM led an international planning team that included US architects Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM), UK aviation consultants TPS Consult and RPS Group.

The study started with an analysis of the baseline capacities and service capabilities of the existing facilities and infrastructure. The next phase involved developing various approaches to land-use that generated 31 high-level options.

Following an extensive evaluation process, four options were short-listed and ranked in terms of functionality, deliverability and cost. A preferred option was selected on the basis of the ranking process.

All stages of the process involved inclusive and transparent consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. The preferred option was a second terminal (incorporating pier E) and a new pier development (D).

PIER D DEVELOPMENT

The pier D development is the first stage in a two billion euro capital investment programme at the airport. PM Group is leading the design team for the programme, which will transform the airport over the next ten years in response to the huge growth in both passenger numbers and freight growth at the airport.

Construction work on the new pier D was completed in autumn 2007. The two-storey, 15,000m³ pier has 12 gates serving 14 new aircraft contact stands is 257m long and 29m wide. It has separate arrivals and departure areas and the capacity to cater for ten million passengers per annum; the pier also has three dedicated retail and restaurant facilities.

PM was responsible for the project management of a multi-disciplinary team including architectural and aviation planning sub-consultants. PM also provided mechanical, electrical, IT, civil and structural engineering, procurement services and cost management via sub-consultants. The UK-based international construction firm, Laing O' Rourke was appointed to build pier D.

DUBLIN AIRPORT SECOND TERMINAL

A consortium comprising Ové Arup, Pascall & Watson and Mace was appointed as project managers and designers for the 75,000m³ terminal two, pier E and all the associated kerbside integration works needed to link the new passenger terminal with the existing terminal one.

The quantity surveying and cost consultancy firm, Davis Langdon PKS was appointed as cost consultant for the new terminal, pier E and kerbside works. Turner & Townsend, the Leeds-based international construction and management consultancy firm, have been appointed as external programme managers to integrate the new terminal with the original one (a total of over 120 projects).

T2 will be served by its own dedicated arrivals and departures roads and will comprise a check-in hall and a departures hall connected by a bridge that forms the central spine of the building.

The new terminal will have 58 check-in desks and ample provision for self-service and online check-in and baggage drop. Beyond an enlarged security screening area, passengers will enter a comfortable departures lounge that will have shops and catering facilities with views of the airfield. A new facility will allow transatlantic passengers to clear US customs and border protection before departure.

In total, T2 will have 9,000m² of retail and catering outlets. The revenue from these outlets and other commercial income such as car parking fees will help minimise passenger charges at Dublin Airport.T2 is due to open in April 2010.

PIER CONSTRUCTION

Extending over 200m on to the airfield apron at the northern edge of the airport, pier D will provide significant new passenger boarding capacity and 14 new aircraft contact stands.

These will facilitate direct boarding and disembarkation of passengers and enable highly efficient turnaround of aircraft schedules.

The overall projected cost of pier D, all associated ancillary works and the access options to the existing passenger terminal currently under review, will exceed €120 million.

The second passenger terminal will be built on a site adjacent to the existing terminal and incorporating the existing pier C. It will be designed to handle up to 15 million passengers and to cater for the requirements of long-haul and short-haul aviation traffic and for the transfer of passengers and baggage between both modes.

A second new satellite pier, pier E, will extend at right angles on to the airfield apron from the new terminal and will provide additional new wide-bodied and narrow-bodied aircraft contact stands as Dublin Airport's passenger traffic continues to grow.

Both the new terminal and pier E are scheduled for completion in late 2009. T2 will be a three-storey curvilinear building that will sit astride the main access road to terminal one.

TERMINAL ONE UPGRADE

In December 2005 a €55 million upgrade to terminal one was planned. The 7,500m² extension will be located at the north-western corner of terminal one and will expand the existing terminal at the departures level, providing a larger check-in area and more retail space, the arrivals level and the mezzanine level.

In February 2008, the new Terminal 1 extension was granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanála. The extension is scheduled to be completed by summer 2009. The new Terminal 1 extension has been designed to get rid of bottlenecks at the airport and to integrate the terminal with piers A and D to give a better passenger experience.

The existing check-in area, area 13, at the northwestern end of the terminal will be reconfigured and the extension will create a larger airside circulation area for passengers en route to piers A and D, featuring 25 new check-in desks and a capacity for four million passengers a year. The extension will consist of arrivals and departures facilities on two levels, with ancillary support accommodation, including additional check-in desks, retail, a restaurant and bar on the mezzanine level, catering, storage, service and plant utilities.

'Dublin Airport T2 will be served by its own dedicated arrivals and departures roads,' says Mike Collings, director of Turner & Townsend. 'With the successful completion of Pier D in 2007, the extension to Terminal 1 is the next step in enhancing the experience for travellers using Dublin Airport. Now that we have been granted planning permission we are very much looking forward to advancing to the construction stage of Terminal 1.'

The civil and structural engineering works are the responsibility of RPS Group, including the outline design of a 700t structural steel frame supported on concrete foundations, the engineering for the fitted glazed façade and the utility services diversions/reinstatement for the airside compound. RPS are also carrying out the fire strategy and engineering for the terminal extension building.

PROPOSED NEW RUNWAY

Investment in a new runway at Dublin Airport is needed to meet the ever-increasing demand for travel to and from Ireland. In December 2004, Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) submitted a planning application to Fingal County Council for a new parallel runway, which allows the airport to accommodate over 30 million passengers a year.

The length of the proposed runway is 3,110m. This length is based on consultation with the users and with minimising the impact of the construction on the surrounding road network. The horizontal separation between the two runways will be 1,690.6m (1km). The width of the runway will be 60m with 7.5m shoulders either side.

Runway 11/29, the shortest runway at Dublin Airport, will be decommissioned and physically removed.

Runway 16/34 will remain in service and will be used primarily for cross-wind operations. Runway 10/28, the existing main runway (opened in 1989) will operate independently of the new runway.

OTHER DUBLIN AIRPORT PROJECTS

A new three million euro dedicated coach and bus park has been built at the rear of the multi-storey car park, delivering upgraded transit and parking facilities for the bulk of the 700 buses that use the airport daily.

In tandem with this project, the short-term car park control system has been revamped and upgraded and a new improved parking zone has been created for disabled passengers.