A Special Project - Terminal A, Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Officially opened in November 2023, Terminal A was recently voted the World’s Most Beautiful Airport (Winner of the 2024 Prix Versailles) and has been described as a ‘Futuristic Masterpiece’ (by the Daily Mail International).

Terminal A (formerly known as the ‘Midfield Terminal’) is one of the largest airport terminals in the world, covering nearly 8 million square feet to accommodate up to 45 million passengers each year, processing 11,000 travellers per hour, and handling 79 aircraft at any given time.

Construction started back in 2012. The delay in opening the terminal roughly six years after the initial planned date of 2017 was due to a change of strategy by Etihad following the Pandemic (the terminal simply wasn’t required for several years).

The new terminal features an array of state-of-the-art facilities, designed to maximise the comfort and experience of passengers. With luxury lounges and spa facilities, and over 160 retail and food and beverage outlets, catering to a wide variety of tastes and preferences, Terminal A will deliver a new standard of airport experience for both leisure and business travellers.

The project requirement was for modular linear drainage systems installed along the kerb line of landside access roads serving both the arrivals and departure areas of the terminal.

The selected systems needed to be safe, aesthetic, hydraulically efficient and durable due to access by pedestrians, the iconic nature of the project, high rainfall intensity during storm conditions and the extreme and corrosive nature of the local environment in the UAE.

HAURATON worked closely with the project team involved in the initial design of Terminal A over a period of four years (2014 – 2018), providing high-level technical support throughout the process. This included:

• Product life-cycle reassurance information
• Specification compliance documentation
• Hydraulic analysis datasheets
• Provision of special product and installation drawings
• System layout drawings, including radius schedule and mitre-cut details
• Development of a new ‘GUGI’ grating for RECYFIX NC 200.
• Development of bespoke shallow outlet boxes

FASERFIX SUPER 200, Type 020 (GUGI Mesh Grating in Ductile Iron; E 600) was supplied for the Arrivals Terminal (3000 metres; ground level).

RECYFIX NC 200, Type 010 (New GUGI Mesh Grating in Ductile Iron; D 400) was supplied for the Departure Terminal (2340 metres; raised concrete structure). This system was selected due to its reduced invert depth and smooth internal surface, which achieved high discharge rates for a shallow installation.

Following a period of record rainfall in the UAE (2024) additional drainage channels were included across access roads and car park entrances associated with the Arrivals Area of Terminal A. The system selected for these locations was RECYFIX MONOTEC ULTRA 200 and 300 (F 900) by HAURATON.

This system is ideal for linear drainage installed in roadway and highway applications due to its unique ‘Retained Grating’ in Spheroidal Ductile Iron. The grating includes extended flanges that provide a secure ‘key’ within the channel concrete encasement and allow positive connection to the steel reinforcement cage around the channel body, achieving a failsafe, strong and robust final installation.

As the extended grating flanges are supported by the channel concrete encasement (with re-bar), any loads and dynamic forces imposed on the grating surface are directly and effectively transferred to the foundation below ground.

Client

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC)

Engineer

AECOM Middle East (Supervision)

NACO

Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates – KPF (Architect)

Contractor

TCA JV (TAV CCC Arabtec)

Larsen & Toubro (L&T)

REBUS Engineering Contracting LLC

HAURATON Subsidiary

HAURATON Abu Dhabi

HAURATON Partner

Mac Al Gurg LLC, Abu Dhabi

HAURATON Product(s)

Arrivals Terminal

FASERFIX SUPER 200, Type 020 with GUGI Mesh Grating in Ductile Iron; E 600 – 3000 metres

Departure Terminal

RECYFIX NC 200, Type 010 with GUGI Mesh Grating in Ductile Iron; D 400 – 2340 metres

 Access Roads, Car Parks, Arrivals Terminal

RECYFIX MONOTEC ULTRA 200 & 300, F 900 – 125 Metres

Location

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Date

Supply to Arrival Terminal – August 2017

Supply to Departure Terminal – July 2018

Opening Date – Nov 2023

Supply to Access Roads / Car Parks (Arrival Terminal) – August & September 2024

Photos

FASERFIX SUPER 200 Channel installed at the Arrivals Area of Terminal A

RECYFIX NC 200 Channel installed at the Departure Area of Terminal A

RECYFIX MONOTEC ULTRA Channel installed across access roads and car park entrances associated with the Arrivals Area, Terminal A

Images

FASERFIX SUPER 200, E 600

Image not fully representative of product supplied

RECYFIX NC 200, D 400

Image not fully representative of product supplied

RECYFIX MONOTEC ULTRA 200 & 300, F 900