Gold Coast Airport has begun ground preparation for construction of its planned aerobridge, part of the airport’s $200 million Southern Terminal Expansion project.
Construction company Lendlease is using a low impact piling system to prepare the earth for the new aerobridge structure, which will connect aircraft to the new terminal.
“It’s exciting for us to see the first piles drilled and poured on the aircraft apron where we will be constructing the new terminal’s four aerobridges,” he said. “Aerobridges have been on the ‘wish list’ of many of our passengers and this is the first tangible step towards delivering those.”
“It is essential our current airport operations are not impacted by this construction activity, so we have had to work closely with our building contractor, Lendlease, to come up with solutions to minimise the impact wherever possible – both for passengers and surrounding residents.”
A pile is a type of foundation driven deep into the ground at a construction site in order to spread the load of a building evenly and firm the ground.
Work on the first of 224 piles has begun, according to Bruhn, using a brand new continuous flight auger (CFA) piling rig and “innovative techniques” because the Gold Coast site is so sensitive.
“The CFA piling system allows us to drill to the final depth in one continuous process, with stability to the surrounding soil reinforced along the way,” said Lendlease Building Queensland General Manager Brad Protheroe.
“This type of piling technique is considered the best solution for the structural loads and soil conditions on the Gold Coast Airport project as it is virtually vibration-free, minimising the impact on adjacent infrastructure.”
Further milestones in the construction works will be completion of the ground floor slab and topping out of the building in mid-2020, before the terminal’s eventual opening in mid-2021.
