Queen opens Terminal 5
at Heathrow

14th March 2008 marks the official opening by the Queen of the new £4.3 billion Terminal 5 building and its first satellite building at Heathrow Airport. Attending the opening will be Frank Huidobro and Roger Yenn of Carillion’s design management and consultancy practice, TPS.

TPS has worked in partnership with BAA at Terminal 5 for the past 12 years, delivering the civil engineering design for the earthworks, 1 million square meters of aircraft pavements, airside services and landside access roads. It also carried out the design for the diversion of two man-made rivers and provided security consultancy advice.

To give an idea of the volume of earth alone moved at Heathrow for T5, it would cover the Isle of Wight to a depth of approximately 17cm and is the equivalent volume of a staggering 40,000 double-decker buses or 12 billion pints of milk.

In addition to the pavements, TPS was responsible for masterplanning and designing the airside services including drainage, water supply, power, fuel, communications and aeronautical ground lighting.

TPS designed the layout for the departures forecourt, the bus and coach station and the circulation for the multi-storey car park. Other key airport facilities, including the multi-lane airside road access control posts were also designed by the TPS team.

Frank Huidobro, TPS’s managing director said: “We are extremely proud of the part TPS has played in Terminal 5 which is a landmark construction project and a showcase of engineering and architectural excellence. When it opens to passengers on 27 March it will provide a fantastic new piece of national infrastructure and a stunning gateway to the UK. None of this could have been achieved without the commitment to partnering demonstrated by BAA and the groundbreaking manner in which they have managed the delivery of this unique project.”

Sir Nigel Rudd, Chairman of BAA Ltd says: "The Terminal 5 project represents a £4.3bn investment by BAA. It has been a landmark construction project, running on time and budget since building work began in 2002, and is a showcase of architectural, engineering and construction excellence. When it opens to British Airways' passengers on 27 March 2008, it will provide the UK with a stunning new gateway to the world. Terminal 5 represents the start of a new era for Heathrow. The 30 million passenger capacity terminal will significantly ease pressure on our existing facilities. It affords us the opportunity to transform older terminals and create a truly world class airport of which the UK can be proud. This journey of transformation is underway with the redevelopment and refurbishment of Terminals 1, 3 and 4 and the replacement of Terminal 2. BAA will continue to invest significantly in Heathrow throughout the next decade.

"Terminal 5 is a fabulous building designed to provide a great passenger experience. Its success is borne from the vision and willingness embraced by many, to approach this project differently, and like all at BAA I am extremely proud of what has been achieved. It is a testament to the hundreds of organisations and thousands of people whose expertise and determination has culminated in making this a hugely successful airport development".

Construction of the second remote satellite building is now underway by TPS's parent company Carillion and, aside from the civil elements, TPS is also involved in the Structural Engineering design for this building.

Links:

  TPS T5 project profile

  BAA's T5 website

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