Budapest Airport commences concrete work on new apron at Ferihegy

BA’s contractors wil use special equipment in which there is only a single machine of this type in operation in Hungary.The so-called ’finisher’ worth HUF 140 million first compacts the basalt concrete poured in front of it and then smoothes out the material with its huge vibrating ‘comb’ consisting of seventeen spikes. The basalt concrete layer is 35 centimeters thick on the full stretch of the apron under construction. In Hungary, this Wirtgen SP500 unit is currently only used in Ferihegy. The caterpillar tracked machine automatically follows the wires set up to support its navigation. The finisher compacts and finishes 1 cubic meter of concrete per minute while covering a distance of 0.5 meters.
 
Budapest Airport will pour 30 thousand cubic meters of concrete into the new apron.
 
In the initial phase, two 120-meter-long stripes will be concreted. Experts will then take a samples and subject these to thorough laboratory testing. The apron at the airport will have to take immense loads, therefore only the best quality material can be used for its construction. An aircraft after refueling can easily reach 70 tons of weight.
 
The contractors will not only construct the concrete surface but the special apron lighting technology and rainwater drainage system as well.
 
The extension of the apron is part of the development program of Budapest Airport called BUD Future. The airport operator will spend HUF 65 billion in the next four years on the modernization of Ferihegy. As a result of the first phase of the works, BA will construct 76,000 square meters of new apron area to provide additional aircraft parking stands and taxilanes.
 
The capital expenditure on this Apron project is HUF 4.2 billion.
 

(c) Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Date posted: 06-Nov-08