Mace has begun the final phase of a £1.3 billion expansion of Manchester Airport.
The firm was appointed by Manchester Airports Group (MAG) as project management and build delivery specialists for the redevelopment of Terminal 2 (T2).
Phase One of the wider Manchester Airport Transformation Programme (MANTP) saw T2 more than double in size.
The next and final phase (Phase Two) will see Mace build a new pier at the airport, providing 12 boarding gates and flexible aircraft stands, representing a £440 million investment.
A second security hall and extended departure lounge, along with reconfigurations of the airfield, are also part of Phase Two.
The transformation programme, outlined in 2015, is part of a 10-year development plan for Manchester Airport. Upon opening in 2025, around 80% of all passengers will use the expanded T2.
The scheme is expected to create more than 500 jobs, including in the supply chain. At least 5% of the workforce will be apprentices.
Strategy for delivery
A construction management procurement approach, breaking down design and delivery packages into overlapping phases and leveraging skilled contractors, will help Mace drive optimisation to meet its deadline.
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are also helping to speed delivery.
Core components of the new pier will be prefabricated off-site to minimise works at the airport, whose operations will continue as normal throughout construction.
And by standardising design and using sub-assembly methods the team will save time.
“This kit-of-parts approach also benefits health, safety and wellbeing by reducing working hours in the live airfield, and ensures consistency of quality due to the controlled conditions in which the components are produced” Mace said.
Mace estimates a 43% reduction in the tonnage of embodied carbon by working this way.
The project will also see pre-cast piles used, decreasing the amount of excavation required and reducing concrete quantities, potentially achieving a 40% reduction in embodied carbon compared to rotary bored piles.
This approach will also bring down vehicle movements to and from the site.
Mace has experience managing the delivery of major aviation projects, including Keflavik Airport in Iceland and Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands.
Enjoyed this? Try INSIGHT: Construction materials – a market strategy to 2030
Get industry news in 5 minutes!
A daily email that makes industry news enjoyable. It’s completely free.