Waterford Airport Re-Design

Waterford Airport, Ireland is located 9km from Waterford City and 5km north east of Tramore. The airport serves as a gateway from the southeast of Ireland to London, Birmingham and the south of France. As well as these short haul flights the airport also operates a pilot training school and is the home to the Irish Coastguard helicopter hanger for the south east region. The airports capacity is due to increase with the opening of the new M9 motorway and with the upgrade of Waterford Institute of Technology to a Technological University. In 2011 a Waterford Regional Airport master plan was issued by Waterford County Council zoning the areas around the airport for redevelopment as a pre-emptive approach for the forecasted increased capacity. 

 The design will look at the frame of the new terminal building and how it can be designed in a manner whereby steel is reduced. The objective of the design will be to create a non fluctuating final cost for the project through design whilst providing an aesthetically pleasing terminal building. An emphasis will be put on the frame of the terminal and load bearing elements will be given particular attention. Sections of the roof structure will be thoroughly detailed to combat the issue of creating a long span structure using minimal amounts of steel. The surrounding buildings will not be over considered and the internal layout details of the terminal will be kept to a minimum. Positions of external claddings will be considered but the fixing details and the materials required will not be specified for the purpose of this particular project.