Bristol Airport

Flood Prevention

Environment Protection

SDS GEOlight® soak-away underpins South West airport expansion.

Overview

Bristol International Airport has embarked on a redevelopment and expansion programme which will see it double the floor space of the existing terminal building, build two new multi-storey car parks for 3,850 cars and a 4800m² administration building, and create an underground fuel storage depot.

The main purpose of the project is to achieve status as the South West’s major airport through an increase in the number of passengers using the airport from six to nine million by 2015, and to 12.5 million by 2030, by attracting more airlines and providing new routes and direct destinations.

The £7 million scheme to construct the extended western parking apron for aircraft, from 18 to 33 stands, commenced in 2012.

As a result of the expansion, it is estimated that, by 2019, overseas tourism to the South West will inject an additional £94 million into the region’s economy.

What we did

Commissioned by Volker Fitzpatrick, the main contractor, on behalf of the airport, our brief was to supply and install surface water management and sustainable drainage systems. SDS installed new sustainable drainage systems comprising a large soakaway with a capacity of 1,665m³ in order to manage surface water runoff away from aircraft standing areas quickly and efficiently.

Results

The drainage scheme minimises the potential for groundwater pollution by surface water contaminated by aircraft fuel and de-icing chemicals.

This installation has also provided the foundation for further expansion anticipated to take place in 2016. The modular format and flexible construction of SDS GEOlight® will allow 450m³ of additional volume to be installed as the future growth of the airport demands.