Preparing for T5
Heathrow's new terminal 5 stands as one of the biggest construction projects ever to be attempted in the UK, while also claiming the additional – and somewhat rare – accolade of being delivered on time and within budget.
Although the original design competition was won in 1988 – two years after terminal 4 had opened by Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners (then Richard Rogers Partnership) – the ensuing controversy and the longest public enquiry in British planning history delayed work until late 2002.
In the end, the design, construction process, project management and use of technology surrounding the T5 development has come to reflect the advances of those intervening years and should prove pivotal in ensuring Heathrow's ongoing importance in 21st century aviation.
T5 TECHNOLOGY
Nowhere is this more obvious than in the project's comprehensive use of technology to address everything from ticketing to environmental issues.
According to Nick Gaines, director of business critical systems for airport company BAA, technology is ubiquitous within T5 making it what he describes as 'a fully integrated and IP-delivered building-managed environment, a truly networked building'.
The scope of this achievement is considerable, since within a site roughly the size of London's Hyde Park, there are over 2,100 PCs, 5,000 mobile phones and PDAs, 9,000 connected devices, more than 160 systems and nearly 550 interfaces. Technology has also been used to achieve the stated goal of easing the flow of passengers – from active RFID tags in the taxis and embedded sensors to detect traffic flow to the world's first personal rapid transit (PRT) system.
The 20-year-plus history of T5 has enabled the design environment to flex and evolve as the demands of the business itself have changed – and, equally, permit progressive flexibility to be built in to allow for further developments in the future.
This thinking has allowed a holistic approach to be taken from the outset, building the technological response to unite the varied aspects of a busy airport operation into a cohesive unit, rather than attempting to select individual system benefits in isolation. Instead of having to build business processes and systems to match an existing building, T5 has offered unparalleled opportunities to BAA and BA (the sole user of the new terminal) for project-integral design, allowing processes to dictate facility functionality, which in turn defines the way systems will work.
"The original Heathrow T5 design competition was won in 1988 – two years after terminal 4." With aviation so often put under the 'green' microscope, BAA has met many of the environmental concerns surrounding the operation of the terminal head on, using a variety of technologies to offset and mitigate its impact. Waste heat from a combined heat and power plant will provide more than 80% of the terminal's heat – avoiding an estimated 11,000t of CO 2 annually – while to cool the building, water from zero-carbon-rated ammonia chillers will be circulated, as required.
Lighting is carefully controlled and conveyor systems have variable speed drives to reduce energy consumption during periods of low-demand, while rainwater harvesting and borehole extraction meet 70% of the water needs to avoid placing undue strain on the mains. Water saving is also a major feature, with low flush volume toilets, automatic on/off sensors and aerated flow shower heads being standard.
Integration is another major factor in the technology usage. While T5 may enjoy the luxury of newly purpose made systems, they still need to be compatible with those pre-existing at Heathrow, not least to ensure baggage tracking and security applications run correctly. This called for a series of changes to around 70 of the older systems to integrate the new.
While backwards compatibility is an obvious necessity, the value of attempts to future-proof has not been overlooked in the process. Check-in kiosks have been designed to allow passengers to be photographed, should such a requirement come into force, and allowance has been made to accommodate biometric recognition technology if required in years to come.
DESIGN SUCCESS
As the first step in BAA's plan to upgrade and modernise the whole of Heathrow – and serve up to 35 million passengers a year – the development has deliberately been designed to redefine the entire user experience.
"The 20-year-plus history of T5 has enabled the design environment to flex and evolve." The difference of approach is apparent even before the traveller enters the terminal building, with a pedestrian zone – the interchange plaza – offering a clear 30m of space spanned by four glazed bridges, the abundant natural light emphasising the overall feeling of open airiness.
Once inside, passengers find themselves in an environment which has been specifically laid out to continue the theme of maximised user-friendliness.
Since studies into passenger behaviour at UK airports have consistently revealed that stress-levels are at their highest during check-in, the design features a large main hall, creating an openness which both revolutionises the general ambience and helps lower feelings of anxiety. In the same vein, screening areas have also been designed to be as open as possible, within the inevitable constraints of modern-day security.
At the same time, the design concept has also embraced T5 as both the primary entry point for London – and the UK – and a major showcase for the flag carrier, with BA transferring its operations from the other terminals to become the sole occupier. In addition, as London gears up to host the 2012 Olympic Games – the opportunity to grandstand what Alan Lamond, aviation director for T5 production architect Pascall & Watson, describes as 'a spectacular piece of architecture and engineering' is clear.
T5 CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
As the world's busiest international airport, it was clear from the outset that the construction work for T5 could not be allowed to impact on Heathrow's normal operation, which inevitably posed some major challenges for the contractors.
"BAA has met many of the environmental concerns surrounding the operation of T5 head on." The project called for around 13.5km of tunnel – roughly the equivalent of a third of the underwater section of the Channel Tunnel – to be bored with a significant amount of this needing to be created beneath the 'live' airfield and close to pre-existing rail tunnels.
Planning and careful 3D monitoring in real-time were essential to ensure the necessary tunnelling was accomplished successfully.
Above ground, there were other constraints, including an imposed height limit on cranes, to avoid the possibility of disrupting airport radar, which led to the main sections of the roof along with some of the beams having to be jacked – rather than lifted – into position.
The use of off-site testing has led to a number of time savings and cost reductions being made possible during the construction process, perhaps most significantly in terms of the roof and main terminal façade, which were pre-constructed. This enabled tolerance and sequencing issues to be ironed out ahead of final assembly – and the lessons drawn from this experience were subsequently applied to the construction and fit-out of the T5 bays.
Since in-situ concrete was used to create most of the development, effective use of digital dimensional information was essential to ensure the accuracy of casting patterns for the project – typically working to tolerances of 1mm or less. The ability to produce castings at this level of accuracy using lasers / water jets has demonstrated the efficacy and importance of the technology, while allowing greater product quality control to be achieved along with minimal wastage.
As a result, rapid prototyping was also facilitated, leading to much faster problem solving options being available to the design team, when required.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Successfully completing a project of this magnitude called for a wide range of engineering and other disciplines and with over 60 contractors, 16 major projects and nearly 150 sub-projects underway on the 260 hectare site, a unique management approach was called for.
"Construction work for T5 could not be allowed to impact on Heathrow's normal operation." By accepting the risk for the construction, as well as being responsible for funding it, BAA released the contractors from fears of penalties and blame for any delays, and enabled them to concentrate entirely on delivering the project.
In addition, the 'project flow' software system was used to collate and control raw material demand, ensuring they arrived on a just-in-time basis, while to reduce the impact of the construction work, two local consolidation centres were created to provide storage.
Despite its position as the world's busiest airport, Heathrow is not immune to overseas competition and with its two runways operating at near-capacity, rival European airports are an ever-present business threat. Already Amsterdam and Paris serve more regional airports in the UK than Heathrow.
This new terminal, with over 112 prestige outlets set to open – including Harrods, Coach, Prada, Paul Smith, Ted Baker and Reiss – should boost Heathrow's overall image and help see off the foreign challenge, at least for the foreseeable future. | 
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View of the south side of the new terminal 5, during construction in July 2006. The scale of the project required a unique approach to project management.
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Heathrow T5 main terminal building seen at night.
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A BA Boeing 747-400 lands at Heathrow. All BA operations are to be located at the new terminal, BA being T5's only tenant airline.
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Silhouette of T5 energy centre and road ramp at dusk. Around 80% of the terminal's heating requirement comes from the CHP unit.
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The sign at Ealing Common station, showing . London Underground's Heathrow Airport link, including the terminal 5 extension. Ease of access and flow through the terminal have been prioritised throughout the development.
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Heathrow T5 main terminal construction in progress.
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One of the BA fleet lands at Heathrow with the T5 terminal in the background.
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The T5 interchange plaza; the terminal has been designed to revolutionise the passenger experience.
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TERMINAL 5
Design
Designed by the Rogers, Stirk Harbour & Partners, T5 marks the start of a new era for Heathrow and for passengers using the airport. T5 is designed to perfectly combine functionality with aesthetics. The passenger experience and journey through the buildings have been at the forefront of design, while consideration has also been given to architectural merit, environmental issues and maintainability.
Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Photo from Heathrow Media Centre 290108
The route a passenger takes through the terminal is coherent, seamless – there is a natural directional flow to the building from check-in to gate and from arrivals-gate to the arrivals hall.
The terminal will also contain some ‘expo’ space to complete the experiential qualities for the passenger.
To add to the overall ambient environment, the lighting inside the terminal building can be programmed to different settings according to season, time of day and weather conditions.
The main terminal building
T5 is the biggest free standing building in the UK. The building is 40m high, 396m long and 176m wide. The single span wave roof held up by 22 huge steel legs and nodes, not only creates a great, light, open and airy space, but provides a distinctive architectural feature and fantastic views of the airfield.
The facades are fully glazed with over 30,000sq metres of glass or 5,500 glass panels. The facades lean out at an angle of 6.5 degrees, giving the building its distinct shape. The glass itself is coated with a film which controls the amount of sunlight entering the building. To further manage the temperature of the interior brise soleil panels have been fitted to the exterior. These are fixed aluminium louvres that act like sun shades, deflecting glare.
Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Photo from Heathrow Media Centre 290108
The interchange plaza
A plaza separates the multi-storey carpark from the main terminal. It is a unique design feature and space (30m wide and the length of the building) and will be landscaped with 40 mature plane trees, fountains, seating areas, artworks, even the possibility of extending some of the cafe areas outdoors when the weather permits.
Underneath the north end of the plaza is the rail station. The station houses 6 platforms, two for the Heathrow Express, two for LU Piccadilly Line and two which are built and safeguarded in advance of a scheme to link Heathrow by rail to the West (AirTrack, a scheme under consideration would connect to the west with the main line at Staines.) The station is covered by a transparent roof (made from ETFE like the Eden Project biomes) which enable natural light to flood down onto the ends of the platforms. Five 50-person lifts will transport passengers straight up to the departures hall.
Multi-storey car park (MSCP)
The drop off forecourts are integrated into the top level of the MSCP which is connected to the departures hall of the terminal building by 4 glazed ‘sky bridges’. The T5 bus and coach station forms the ground floor level of the MSCP.
The car park has 3800 spaces, and we’ve invested in a range of technologies to ensure using it is stress free including for example a car finder service to help passengers find their car quickly, or bay monitoring to help you find a space more quickly.
Departures lounge
Once through security and airside, passengers are afforded airfield views from every angle. The departures lounge is double height, adding to the sense of space and light. The main seating areas are arranged in two symmetrical squares at either end. There are no gate rooms at T5, rather passengers can enjoy the departures lounge right up until they are called to board their flight.
Environment
During construction great attention has been paid to minimising environmental impact. 85% of waste on the project has been recovered thanks mainly to the segregation of materials during construction. Aggregates produced from demolition and waste concrete have been crushed and recycled and over 300,000 tonnes of demolition and waste concrete has been processed into aggregate and re-used on site in addition to 80,000 tonnes of recycled and secondary aggregate sourced from other projects. Crushed green glass from domestic recycling banks has been used as a sub base in the construction of temporary sites and pulverised fuel ash from power stations was used in the manufacture of the concrete on site.
Reducing environmental impact during operation
Waste heat from an existing combined heat and power plant is being piped to the T5 energy centre to provide the building with 85% of its heat on demand. This saves around 11,000 tonnes of CO2/yr.
Inside the terminal, the lighting is controlled digitally. Individual lights can be turned on, off or dimmed according to the requirements of an area at a particular time of day or during certain weather conditions. The baggage systems and escalators benefit from variable speed drives, slowing down the systems when not in use.
The terminal itself is glazed on all facades, reducing the need for artificial lighting. South-facing facades benefit from louvres, angled in such a way as to prevent the summer sun penetrating the building.
Energy efficient fittings have been specified throughout the terminal building and only centrally chilled water, supplied by zero-carbon-rated ammonia chillers in the purpose-built T5 energy centre will be used to cool the building, limiting the need for individually chilled air conditioning units and refrigerators throughout the building.
Water from T5’s rainwater harvesting and groundwater boreholes is being used for non-potable uses, reducing the demand on the public water supply by 70%. The harvesting scheme re-uses up to 85% of the rainfall that falls on the T5 campus.
All the toilets in T5 have low flush capability with flush volumes as low as 4 litres, and all taps and showers are fitted with water saving devices such as automatic on/off sensors and aerated flow taps and shower heads.
PCA (pre-conditioned air) is available, which is a first for Heathrow on all T5 stands. When an aircraft comes in to a stand, a large hose, 6 inches in diameter, can be plugged in to pump air into the cabin. When used with fixed electrical ground power (FEGP) the aircraft can be completely shut down when on the stand and cool air can still be pumped in for passengers, rather than a generator being used and means there are no exhaust emissions.
Transforming the rest of Heathrow
Before Terminal 5 is finished, the next phase of Heathrow’s development - T3 Futures – will be completed in November. The works are redeveloping the front of Terminal 3, with a new forecourt and roads and a big canopy at the front that will house self-service check-in kiosks, extending the depth of the terminal.
After T5 the next big project will be Heathrow East for which BAA has been given planning permission. Heathrow East is not about new capacity, it will replace Terminals 1 and 2.
By 2012 almost the entire airport will be either re-built, refurbished or redesigned. A £6bn investment plan will deliver world class facilities which passengers expect including more space for security and improved environmental performance.
