T5 celebrates a successful 2003!!

T5 celebrates a successful 2003

As workers at the UK’s largest construction site enjoy a two week Christmas break, Construction Director, Andrew Wolstenholme reflects on the huge progress made during 2003.

“With almost a third of this mammoth programme of works already complete, the project is running to schedule and on budget.” Commented Andrew, “this is thanks to the dedication and effort of all the team involved.”

“T5 involves a very complicated programme of works and we’ve made huge in-roads this year. Most significantly we have begun to erect the steelwork for the terminal roof structure and 2004 will see the terminal building rise from the ground. There are still many challenges ahead of us, but I’m looking forward to another exciting and productive year.”

During 2003, the old Perry Oaks sludge works, situated between Heathrow’s two runways has seen a complete metamorphosis with the large steel frame finally beginning to emerge from the ground.

Much of the construction work throughout 2003 was concentrated below ground. More than 4 million tonnes of earth have been excavated to enable the underground structures for the rail station, baggage systems and service tunnels, as well as the main foundations for the terminal and satellite buildings to be built. Tunnelling work under the airfield has also been completed on a new road tunnel to connect terminals 1,2 and 3 with terminal 5.

To the west of the main site, work nears completion on the construction of two new river channels, into which the Duke of Northumberland and Longford Rivers will be diverted in May next year (2004). In order to create space for the new river channels around the airport perimeter, the construction team have also had to realign the airport’s western perimeter road. This was successfully completed in December and included the construction of a road arch through which the new perimeter road now runs. The top of this road arch will eventually form the T5 ‘welcome’ roundabout where the M25 spur road will end. The embankments for the spur road are also now virtually complete ready for phase two which includes completing the bridge structures, laying the road surfaces and erecting lighting and signage.

The most significantly date this year was arguably the 27 October, when work began to erect the large steel frame that will become the main terminal’s 30m high wave like roof and building façade. This key milestone was achieved exactly to schedule.

Next year will see similarly important milestones reached – including the completion of the river diversions, the conclusion of work to erect the main terminal roof and satellite building and the beginning of construction on the extensions to the London Underground Piccadilly Line and to the Heathrow Express.

Notes to editors
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR
· The T5 site is 251hectares – the equivalent size of Hyde Park in London. All of this has been excavated and surveyed by specialist archaeologists
· The excavations for the main terminal were big enough to fit St. Pauls Cathedral
· Five out of 9 tunnels have already been completed – by Feb 2005 13.5 kilometers of tunnels will have been created.
· A successful trial to erect the most complicated section of the T5 roof took place in Yorkshire earlier this year saving £4million and ironing out over 140 potential issues
· Around 3000 construction workers currently work on the T5 site

Training and education:
· A specialist modern apprenticeship training centre has been created offering 100 modern apprenticeships a year for 16 – 18 year olds from local communities around Heathrow
· A construction skills centre at West Thames College in Feltham was opened by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown in November, offering vocational training in construction skills for 14 – 19 year olds
· BAA is supporting ten local schools applying for ‘specialist status’ with £10K funding pledged to each school.

Also launched in September were
· A bursary scheme for five local students entering higher education in construction related courses.
· A construction training centre in Slough which provides a safe learning environment for Slough’s school children
· A mobile classroom for 10 and 11 year olds in the Spelthorne area providing training in basic construction