CUSTOM-ENGINEERED formwork systems from Doka Abu Dhabi are providing effective solutions in creating the unique shape of the vast Midfield Terminal Complex, which is being built to a tight schedule at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the UAE.

The client on the architecturally stunning project is Abu Dhabi Airports Company, which has contracted a joint venture of the Turkish TAV, Athens-based CCC and the local Arabtec to build the terminal complex in time for operations by 2017.

The expansion of the Abu Dhabi International Airport lies at the core of Abu Dhabi’s Vision 2030 strategy to boost economic development in the emirate.

The construction of the X-shaped Midfield Terminal Building as part of the complex is well under way. Once complete, the 1.1-km-long, 700,000-sq-m building will be visible from 1.5 km away. Costing an estimated $3 billion, the complex will have capacity to handle 27 to 40 million passengers a year.

For the project, engineers devised the most economical and time-saving solution in view of the tight construction schedule for the joint venture. Doka’s custom-engineered formwork solutions are currently deployed in the construction of the colossal piers, which are designed to accommodate up to 65 aircraft including Airbus 380s.

Doka’s scope on the project includes supply of all the typical floor beam and slab support; 100 per cent of all corewall formwork and SKE50 platforms and six units of custom circular column formwork. Approximately 6,400 sq m of Frami beam side formwork, 11,000 sq m of Staxo 40 tables; and large-area formwork Top 50 were used for the retaining walls and column forms.

“In numbers, it is clear that logistics and daily coordination for delivery schedules and manoeuvring of the formwork on site are important factors in the joint success of the forming scope of the project,” says a Doka spokesman.

Due to the sheer extent of the assignment and the large amounts of formwork technology systems which were required to be delivered to the site, Doka appointed a dedicated project coordinator, onsite engineering team and formwork instructor especially to ensure the smooth-running of Doka’s supply during all phases of this project.

He continues: “Doka UAE manages the mega project very closely and with daily internal co-ordination – some 500 drawings have been produced by our engineering department to date.”

TAV senior project manager Huseyin Misirlioglu comments: “I have been working with Doka for a long time on large-scale projects such as the Abu Dhabi Midfield Terminal Building. Doka has again proven to be a reliable partner on this project and they exceptionally contributed to meet our milestones with their know-how and technical solutions. They had strong supervision on site and promptly supplied material to meet our demands.”

Other airport challenges successfully tackled by Doka in the Middle East are the Salalah and Muscat international airports in Oman; King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and the Hamad International Airport in Qatar.

Doka is a world leader in developing, manufacturing and distributing formwork technology for use in all fields of the construction sector. With more than 160 sales and logistics facilities in over 70 countries, the group has a highly efficient distribution network which ensures that equipment and technical support are provided swiftly and professionally. An enterprise forming part of the Umdasch Group, the Doka Group employs a worldwide workforce of more than 6,000.