Carrasco Iternational Aiport 2011

CHAPTER 4: CARRASCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

4.0 Introduction:

Carrasco International Airport commonly known simply by Aeropuerto Internacional

de Carrasco, is the main airport serving Montevideo, Uruguay, located in the adjoining

municipality of Ciudad de la Costa. It is the largest airport in Uruguay (Carrasco international

airport, 2011). In 2003 the Uruguayan government transferred the administration, operation

and maintenance of the airport to the private investment group Puerta del Sur S.A, which

since then invested in several upgrades at the airport (Carrasco international airport, 2011).

The construction began on 2007 for a new and modern terminal that is located

parallel to Runway 06/24. The new terminal, designed to has the capacity to handle 3 million

passengers a year, including a much larger parking area built for over 1200 vehicles. This

new terminal building has four jetways, separate floors for arrivals and departures and a

large viewing area on the top floor. The terminal has room for expansion for two additional

jetways and a maximum capacity of 6 million passengers per year before the building would

need actual enlargement. The new terminal was inaugurated on October 5, 2009 with official

operations beginning on December 29, 2009. A new US$7 million dollar cargo terminal is

also being constructed (Carrasco international airport, 2011).

Runway 06/24 has been improved and lengthened to 3200 mts, which allows airlines

to operate non-stop flights to the U.S. and Europe. Runway 01/19 was lengthened to 2250

mts and the third runway (rarely ever used) has now been taken out of use since the new

terminal cuts across it (Carrasco international airport, 2011).

Figure 4.0: plan view of the construction carrasco international airport

Carrasco Iternational Aiport 2011

4.1 Design Structure

The new building designed by Rafael Viñoly stands out for its monolithic sickle-

shaped roof. This is 80 metres wide and 366 long. 150 metres of this length covers the

building proper, while 108 juts out in broad eaves at either end. The glass walls of the see-

through building lean outwards and reach for the sky. Arrivals occupy the ground floor,

departures the first floor. As a whole this impressive structure is deceptive: the sheer size of

the roof would suggest massive weight, yet it seems to float upon the filigree frame structure.

The sense of lightness is enhanced by a studied use of colour and materials: white and

silver-grey, glass, metal and polished stone (Plan view design, 2011).

Figure 4.2: roof structure for carrasco international airport

Section Arrivals and departures are separated vertically for efficient circulation and security

reasons. The atrium adjacent to the street entrance visually and spatially links these two

stages of a traveller’s journey, opening the ground floor to the monumental space of the

main hall.

Carrasco Iternational Aiport 2011

Figure 4.3: Ground floor.

Luggage carousels and customs checkpoints are on the ground-floor departures level. The

spacious arrival hall is connected to the departures hall above by means of an open atrium,

which brings extra light to the ground level of the building.

Figure 4.4: First floor plan.

The departures level features the public concourse and the secure passenger concourse

with a restaurant and duty-free retail space; these concourses are separated by the security

checkpoint and immigration control at the centre of the plan. Four fixed, elevated pedestrian

bridges, accommodating a total of eight passenger gates, connect to narrow- and wide-body

aircraft and provide access to the apron for smaller planes.

Carrasco Iternational Aiport 2011

Figure 4.5: Latitudinal section - The gently arched roof provides a canopy over the access

roads on one side of the building, and opens up wide views to the runway on the opposite

side.

Figure 4.6: Longitudinal section - The formal, symmetrical design solution to the project rises

gently out of the largely flat topography of the airport site.

Figure 4.7: front view of carrasco international airport

Carrasco Iternational Aiport 2011

4.1.1 Structure of roof (monolithic roof)

Thornton Tomasetti was responsible for the structural design of the terminal’s 1,000-

foot-long curved steel roof structure. The curved roof maintains a low profile on the

landscape, helping its structure integrate into the surrounding. The unique roof

extends beyond the building on all four sides. The curved roof has an irregular plan

profile with the width varying from 415 feet to 165 feet. In addition, the steel-truss roof

has an irregular vertical profile with its two ends supported on grade and the height of

the roof varies from 85 feet to 120 feet. The cantilevered roof facilitates the strategic

use of daylighting for the terminal building by creating shading for the interior space

(structural design, 2011).

Figure 4.8: roof truss

Figure 4.9: roof truss erection

Carrasco Iternational Aiport 2011

Figure 4.10: roof structure

4.2 Wall System

The 60-foot-high fully glazed curtain wall system extending from the base to the roof wraps

around the terminal building, creating transparency. In response to the challenge of

providing draining for the large roof area, two gutters, one at each cantilevered edge, was

provided for the entire length of the roof to capture rainwater run-off for the huge roof area

(structural design, 2011).

With its curvaceous roof design, the new airport building at Montevideo in Uruguay

celebrates the aesthetics of aviation. Light provides the link between indoor and outdoor

areas (roof design, 2011).

Figure 4.11: curtain walling around the Carrasco Airport wall

Carrasco Iternational Aiport 2011

4.3 Mechanical and Electrical fitting

For the cantilevered roof, Power cast projectors with 150W metal halide lamps are mounted

on the grounds along the approach road. Their Spherolit reflectors with the "oval flood"

characteristic combine to achieve a soft, uniform illumination.

Figure 4.12: metal halide lamps

Daylight plays a key role throughout, backed up by Ricardo Hofstadter’s lighting

concept which hinges on the choice of strict indirect illumination of the curving roof canopy

using a single quality of light inside and out and thus highlighting the contours of this

impressive architectural landmark. Indoors Hofstadter opted for ERCO Parscoop IV ceiling

washlights mounted on the horizontal booms of the spaceframe structure. Fitted with high-

efficiency metal halide lamps, they shed a glare-free light and confine the connected load to

a mere 14W/m2. Indirect lighting of the roof canopy continues outside with compact ERCO

Powercast projectors for metal halide lamps mounted on the railing that lines the approach

ramp (Plan view design, 2011).

The characteristic “oval” flooding beam from Spherolit reflectors creates a soft

uniform glow. High over the departure gates the glass roof reveals the sky above.  Here

Optec spotlights discreetly integrated into the support struts give a concentrated direct light,

metal halide lamps again being used. In the retail, VIP and restaurant zones we find

recessed Gimbal spotlights for 35 and 70W metal halide lamps which, with their cardan

suspension, enable the beam to be precisely aimed. Integration of architecture and lighting

is a key feature of the new carrasco terminal which rises as a striking landmark, a symbol of

modernity and welcome to visitors (Plan view design, 2011).

The actual departure lounge is a monumental, bright room. The ceiling's indirect

illumination lends lightness to the roof surface giving it a floating feeling, an effect achieved

Carrasco Iternational Aiport 2011

by hundreds of Parscoop ceiling washlights mounted on the tubular-steel support structures.

Fitted with highly efficient metal halide lamps, these luminaires ensure that this lighting

solution provides efficient visual comfort and economical connection figures of just 14W/m².

Figure 4.11: ERCO Powercast projectors for metal halide lamps

Indirect lighting of the roof canopy continues outside with compact ERCO Powercast

projectors for metal halide lamps mounted on the railing that lines the approach ramp.

Figure 4.12: outside of the building covered by glass

Carrasco Iternational Aiport 2011

4.4 Materials

In the original concept, this lining would be made with a succession of layers of steel, wood

and plaster covered with a thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) membrane. The top surface

allowed this solution, but the TPO couldn’t be properly stretched on the concave bottom

surface. As the come eventual solution was to cover the bottom surface with sandwich

panels made of composite plates having a gelcoat finish and expanded polystyrene and

polyurethane core. These were attached to the building’s main structure by a secondary

aluminium structure so as to allow for the correction of imperfections present in the main

structure. 24,000 m² of panels were supplied and assembled, without interfering with the

other activities at the construction site, over a period of 9 months

Carrasco Iternational Aiport 2011

Reference

Carrasco International Airport,, 2011, retrieved from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrasco_International_Airport

Structural design 2011 retrieved from

http://www.thorntontomasetti.com/projects/carrasco_international_airport)

Roof design 2011 retrieved from

(http://www.erco.com/projects/traffic/carrasco_in_4861/en/en_carrasco_in_intro_1.php)

Plan view design, 2011 retrieved from http://www.theplan.it/J/index.php?

option=com_content&view=article&id=1512:carrasco-international-

airport&Itemid=1&lang=en)

FRP International, 2011 retrieved from

http://www.iifc-hq.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/FRP-International-Vol-8-No-3-July-2011-

website-version.pdf