The topping-out ceremony was held on time at the new terminal T2B of the Hungarian capital’s airport
Flexible for high aesthetics
“We are thrilled that we have been able to meet the previous construction deadlines defined in the time schedule and that the work will be able to proceed even under the weather conditions that prevail in autumn and winter,” enthused Stephan Schattney, director of the technical centre at Budapest Airport on the occasion of the topping-out ceremony for Terminal 2B in November 2017.
The top floor of the new building was completed on time nine months after the start of construction. Thus, the large project at Liszt Ferenc Airport in Budapest is absolutely on target. The new 220 m long terminal with a surface area of 10,000 m³ will have ten passenger boarding bridges which, depending on the requirements of the airlines and the types of aircraft catered for, will be able to handle ten narrow-body aircraft such as the Airbus A 320 or up to three wide-body jets of the calibre of the Boeing 777 at the same time. With an investment volume of more than €25 million, the purpose of the new terminal is to serve overseas connections.
Enormous time pressure
Norbert Székács, project manager at the prime contractor Kész Építő, struck a positive balance: “We have closely involved all participants in the team right from the start and were able to prepare this large project optimally to ensure that all MEVA systems were available at the construction site on time.” All parties thus had a clear understanding of the requirements – and the deadlines. On a construction site of this magnitude time and reliability play a central role. After all, the slots, i.e. the take-off and landing rights, are allocated well in advance, particularly at international airports, and thus have to be available from day one of operations. The pressure on planners and implementers is correspondingly high. In the second half of 2018 the first jets and passengers will be handled in the new terminal.
First impressions count
The demands placed on the quality of the concrete surfaces were very high right from the start, as the responsible parties wanted to follow up seamlessly on the example set by the high-profile central SkyCourt passenger hall. In addition, an international terminal is a business card for the arriving passengers – here, every detail must be perfect. “It was thus a matter of course for our team to ensure direct on-the-spot support at all times,” explained Botond Lachmann, head of engineering at MEVA in Budapest. Visible surfaces such as free-standing concrete columns in the interior, ceilings and walls were formed in SB3 quality, the German architectural concrete class for immaculate architectural concrete surfaces, using alkus all-plastic facings. The remaining areas that cannot be seen by the public – such as stairwells – were formed using conventional facing.
Flexible for high aesthetics
Besides the high quality of the architectural concrete, the responsible parties were also convinced by the high level of flexibility provided by the MEVA systems: “Thanks to the wide range of panel sizes available in the Mammuth 350 system, it was even possible to create a harmonious tie hole and joint pattern in the stairwells inside the building by leaving out a number of tie holes,” explained János Laczkovics, project manager at Interkonstrukt Kft. The large wall surfaces also stand out because of their uniform joint pattern.
Versatility is trump
Besides 900 m² of Mammut 350 wall formwork and 6,000 m² of MEVA Meva-Flex slab formwork, 50 MEP shoring towers and six KAB foldable working platforms were also used. To create the special shapes, the CaroFalt column formwork and the MTT stair tower proved their worth. “For this type of construction project in particular it is, of course, advantageous for our customers to source all the parts required for individual construction phases from a single source,” stressed Márk Kenessey from the MEVA field sales force in Budapest.
Completely satisfied
“During this project our skilled workers and engineers have succeeded in creating a wide range of top-quality concrete structures thanks to the competent support provided by the MEVA team. The high safety standards of all MEVA systems rounded off the positive impression,” said Adam Radics, construction manager at Interkonstrukt Kft., in explaining why he is completely satisfied with the result. The customer was so convinced by the quality at the end of the project that he decided to invest in Mammut 350 formwork.
Data & Facts
Project: Liszt Ferenc Airport Terminal T2B
Principal: Budapest Airport Zrt.
Prime contractor: Kész Építő Zrt. Budapest
MEVA systems:
- Mammut 350 wall formwork
- MevaFlex slab formwork
- CaroFalt column formwork
- MEP shoring tower system
- MTT stair tower
- KAB foldable working platform
Engineering and support: MEVA Zsalurendszerek Zrt., Budapest.
