Northern Ireland firm FP McCann has deployed a number of its precast concrete solutions to support a major transformation project at Manchester Airport.

Led by contractor Laing O'Rourke, the project will deliver an extension to Terminal 2, more than doubling its current size.

The installation of nearly 40km of high voltage (HV) and low voltage (LV) cables are integral to the 'power on' of Terminal 2, and as part of these works, FP McCann manufactured and delivered nine large precast concrete cable drawpit chambers which sit under the link bridge to the first of the aircraft piers. The precast concrete chambers protect these cables in safe, readily accessible housing, and have been designed to F900 loading due to the location of the chambers. This means that the chambers and their associated covers are capable of withstanding 900kN test loads.

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Each chamber was supplied on a just-in-time basis from FP McCann's Byley precast factory in Cheshire. They consist of a base unit and a number of riser sections which vary in weight from six tonnes to 15 tonnes. The top riser units all have castellated tops to enable steel cross beams and covers to be cast on site.

The chambers have duct couplers cast in at the factory as determined by the specified bespoke layout, enabling a quick installation process. 

In addition, steps have been cast into each section and a sump formed in the chamber base units, whilst a waterproof bitumen coating has been applied to all external faces.

Section Engineer for Laing O'Rourke, Giedre Jurkonyte, said: "As we were on a very tight schedule, we chose the offsite built precast option to speed up installation. Precast elements are a more environmentally sustainable option, as less concrete is used and, as a result, FP McCann was able to reduce the wall thickness from 400mm to 300mm. There was no concrete wastage and vehicle footprint was minimised."

The Manchester Airport Transformation Programme is scheduled for completion in 2020.

(CM/JG)