Construction World January 2017

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ROADS & BRIDGES
AECOM was appointed by the Civil Aviation
Authority of Botswana (CAAB) to provide
consulting and supervision services for the
Kasane International Airport Improvement
project. It caters for the future growth of
the airport, and boosts its capacity for more
frequent international flights.
Construction works for the airside
facilities included upgrading the existing
2 120 m x 30 m runway to a 3 000 m x
45 m wide surfaced runway, plus a new
apron to accommodate three large aircraft
and several smaller non-scheduled aircraft.
The airside construction works were
completed in April 2013.
However, passenger flow increased
beyond the capacity of the existing
1 300 m2 terminal building, which needed to
be upgraded urgently. The AECOM design
team was appointed for the entire scope of
the project, including architecture, project
management, structural engineering,
mechanical engineering, electrical
engineering, fire services and piping.
New Kasane International terminal building operational
The new terminal building at Kasane International Airport in Botswana went
operational by the end of 2016. This is the final stage of an extensive overall
upgrade project that will be completed by mid-2017.
The approved concept called for a
10 000 m² expandable, smart, aesthetically-
pleasing, climate-controlled,-functional
building, Jaco Theron, resident project
manager, project and construction services,
Africa for AECOM, explains.
Buildability was an obstacle for the
design team due to the remote location
within Botswana.
The structure had to be designed in such
a way so as to accommodate
material availability.
Sourcing aggregates posed a particular
challenge for the contractor, with some
aggregates imported from neighbouring
Namibia, and some trucked in from
Francistown, about 500 km away.
In addition, the existing terminal
building had to remain functional
throughout construction, and also be
encompassed into the new building, without
demolishing any of the existing structure.
Kasane International Airport is located
in north-eastern Botswana in proximity to
the confluence of Namibia, Zambia and
Zimbabwe, making it a perfect tourism hub,
as it borders the Chobe Game Reserve. 