Gulf Construction Online - Bids called for Dubai airport work

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An artist's impression of the new terminal.

Bids called for Dubai airport work

01 November 2001

Dubai's Department of Civil Aviation has invited contractors to prequalify for a number of packages as part of the Dubai International Airport expansion project.

The new phase of the expansion is expected cost Dh5 billion ($1.36 billion) and include a new concourse exclusively for Emirates airline passengers.

The concourse, costing up to another Dh2.2 billion, will be connected to Terminal One by a tunnel. It will be built alongside the Shaikh Rashid concourse. The two will be separated by the control tower, but will be connected by corridors. The concourse will have aero-bridges to handle large planes such as the Airbus A380.

Prequalification bids have been invited from civil engineering contractors for the groundworks of Concourse 2, Terminal 3 and the car-park in advance of other elements of construction.

The scope of works for the groundworks comprises:

Demolition of 363,000 sq m of reinforced concrete apron;

Construction of 136,000 sq m of diaphragm wall including ground anchors and light shoring between differing levels;

Excavation of 6 million cu m of material and disposal off site including dewatering of excavations; and

Installation of 5,000 reinforced concrete friction piles, ranging in length from 35 to 45 m and diameters of 600-1,200 mm.

The DCA has also invited general building contractors to submit prequalification documents for a further two packages: the construction of engineering facilities complex and the VIP pavilion.

The new engineering facilities complex will comprise office, storage and light industrial areas covering approximately 21,000 sq m as well as associated external works and services.

Work on the VIP pavilion will entail expansion and incorporation of the existing single-storey 850 sq m facility into a new, partly two-storey, VIP pavilion and associated external works and services.

The basic construction style and finishes of the existing pavilion will be maintained. The new VIP facility will have an enclosed footprint area of approximately 2,100 sq m, together with a first floor area of approximately 800 sq m.

The expansion is also include a mega underground cargo terminal capacity of three million tonnes.

Work on the new terminal will start next year and be completed by 2006. It is expected to put Dubai among the world's top 20 airports. It will increase the airport's passenger capacity to 35 million from the current 12 million yearly.