Updates
October 2006 – Update on Construction
As you may have noticed, the construction for the expansion of the new terminal (and demolition of the old one) is progressing quickly. The contractor responsible for demolishing the old terminal anticipates that they will be finishing the work before the year is out. Now that the interior has been dismantled, they are focusing on the structure. The contractor confirms that they are exceeding our recycling objectives by 75%. For now, only the east part of the terminal is being demolished; the rest will be demolished next year.
As for the expansion project, the excavation work is in full swing. The contractor has almost completed the excavation. Once it is finished, more than 55,000 m3 of sand and clay will have been moved. That’s quite a hole! Once the foundation is in place, a portion of the sand will used to backfill the foundation. That operation should take place near the end of the year.
Due to the type of structure and soil, the engineers have indicated that pilings will be used to support the building. During the construction of Phase 1, 1600 were placed, but this time only 140 will be used. Each piling is driven in to a depth of over 25 metres, or about 80 feet. Due to the difficulty of transporting 25-metre beams, they are transported in 12-metre lengths. They will drive the first section in, weld on the second section, and then continue driving in the second section.
You have also seen two cranes being assembled. Several discussions between the contractor and the Airport were required to decide on the ultimate height of the cranes. The higher the crane, the more stable it is because times of torsion under load can be better distributed if the crane is higher. However, at an airport during bad weather, obstacles that could be problematic, such as towers or cranes, have to be minimized. In this case, we were able to accommodate the contractor’s limitations while minimizing the negative impact on operations.