Airport Construction: Perfect Landing in Mannheim and Bucharest
competencies
Two weeks. No delays. No compromises. Stringent safety requirements. And the highest quality. PORR demonstrated how to renovate a runway in the middle of flight operations during this project in Mannheim. And at Henri Coandă International Airport in Bucharest, we showed what we can achieve with our expertise and by working shoulder to shoulder. We expanded, constructed, and modernised on a site measuring 500,000 square metres to provide more capacity, optimised processes, and the best conditions.
Aeroplanes over our helmeted heads. Taking off and landing every minute. We were not allowed to disrupt them. And they were not allowed to interfere with our work. Every activity, every move had to be right. It was a symbiosis of a particularly exciting kind that our client, Rhein Neckar Flugplatz GmbH, demanded. But working shoulder to shoulder with our colleagues from the Münster branch, we at PORR Verkehrswegebau Großprojekte were able to successfully realise the overall renovation of the runway at Mannheim City Airport.
MannheimDigital tools and recycled material
Our scheduling and logistics concept, our expertise, and partnership-based cooperation set new standards in terms of quality and process reliability. In order to move the enormous quantities of material within the tight time frames without disrupting flight operations, we had to synchronise everything precisely – every work step, every trade, and the overall logistics. The safety-related processes in the sensitive airport area and changing weather conditions also required maximum concentration. The use of the digital project management tool Smart Site One (SSO) was a complete success. The tool enabled real-time manage ment of all asphalt processes – from mixed material logistics and tempera ture control to complete documentation. Thanks to transparent real-time data on delivery quantities, temperatures, and rolling passes, we were able to optimally coordinate processes, minimise downtime, and reliably ensure installation quality.
It was important for us to reuse the existing material. We broke up the existing asphalt pavement on site, hardened it with cement, and used it as a new substructure. This enabled us to reduce transport routes and almost all disposal volumes. This is how we successfully completed this project. And proved that no matter how challenging the circumstances, we always manage a perfect landing
BucharestNew routes and new light
After six construction phases, Henri Coandă Inter national Airport has now been completely modernised and renovated. Our work covered a total area of 500,000 square metres. It also included the expansion of passenger apron no. 2 to 190,000 square metres, which means significantly more parking positions for aircraft and more flexibility in daily operations. Behind every square metre is our precise planning, lots of coordination, and our efficient execution. We built a new taxiway and updated 310,000 square metres of the five taxiways on run way 08L–26R. Two new fast access roads now offer shorter routes for the ground handling equipment to the aircraft on the aprons. Our work also included the airport roads and the rainwater drainage systems.
A particular highlight – in the truest sense of the word – was the installation of new ground lighting for the airfield and an LED lighting system. Improved visibility at night and in diffi cult weather conditions now increases safety. The energy-efficient infrastructure ensures more sustainable operation. With our successful landing, the airport is now ready for many flights to come. And we are ready for our next mission.
Did you know?
- Since 2004, the airport has been named after the Romanian aviation pioneer and inventor of the modern jet aeroplane, Henri Coandă.
- 500,000 square metres corresponds to around 70 football pitches.
- 08L–26R is the standardised identifier for a runway. It describes the orientation of the runway to the magnetic north pole and its position. 08 stands for direction east, 26 for the opposite end. L means left, R means right.
- There are only five countries in the world that do not have their own airport: Vatican City, Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, and Liechtenstein.
- Saba Airport on the Caribbean island of Saba officially has the shortest runway in the world, measuring 400 metres.
Airport constructionpowered by PORR
PORR offers a comprehensive range of construction services in this sector, covering runways, aprons, taxiways, hangars, and departure and arrival terminals, all from a single source. We also plan and build complex infrastructure such as hotels and multi-storey car parks. Full details and references can be found here.
