Dublin Airport: Terminal 2 Development
Project: Terminal 2 Development Dublin Airport
Client: Laing O’Rourke
Bridge: 54m clear span footbridge
Dublin Airport’s second passenger terminal was given the green light by Government last summer and is being built on a site adjacent to the existing terminal. 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.
Due to the complexity and challenging delivery timelines of the Airport Development Programme, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) decided to appoint external contractors to plan the integration and delivery schedule of the overall programme.
Laing O’ Rourke is a major international building contracting firm, which specialises in the construction of major transport infrastructure and as a result were awarded an element of this programme. Part of which was the supply and installation of a 54m clear span footbridge.
This is where Beaver Bridges entered the frame. As specialists in access bridges from heavy capacity vehicle bridges, to smaller more decorative footbridges, and with a track record for delivering high specification bridges within tight timelines and on budget they were an ideal candidate for the supply and installation of this 54m footbridge.
Whilst only a fraction of the overall project, the footbridge was to be an integral part of the Airport Development Programme. It would provide the only access to the construction site for all foot traffic and would do so for the duration of the project.
The bridge was to be sited across the main dual carriage way and access roads into Dublin Airport, and was required to adhere to all Highways, and Health & Safety guidelines.
The footbridge was not the only suggestion put forward as a solution to the access problem. However it was finally decided that based on delivery, quality, design and maybe most importantly cost effectiveness, that a Beaver Bridge footbridge was the best solution. And that Beaver Bridges, with their expertise and ability to deliver within the tight timescales involved were the preferred contractor for the job.
On average a bridge of this size and design would take around 8 – 10 weeks to manufacture. When Laing O’Rourke gave the purchase order to Beaver Bridges in early November 2008, they had just 4 weeks to design, manufacture and install the bridge. The installation would bring further constraints, due to the position of the bridge across the main dual carriage way into Dublin Airport, a road closure would need to be enforced for the bridge lift and installation. The time period allowed for this was just 2 hours.
Yet with all this taken into account on 2nd December 2008 and needing only 90 minutes for the lift and installation, Laing O’Rourke and Dublin Airport had their new 54m footbridge in-situ.
This bridge has since been used around the clock to safely carry construction workers and site personnel… please see below for images and also please do check out our assembly and installation video.
