Abu Dhabi Airports says the ‘de-propping’ of the centrepiece of the Midfield Terminal Building (MTB) at the emirate’s main airport has begun.
In the first of nine de-props, a team of 45 specialists systematically removed 30 temporary supports used for building the roof element, using 60 hydraulic jacks, state news agency WAM reported.
The supporting structure for the MTB central roof consists of 18 inclined arches of varying heights, and a roof grillage, in total weighing around 20,000 metric tonnes.
When the de-propping is complete in February next year, the roof will appear to float above 18 mega-arches. The MTB will also feature the world’s longest indoor arch, spanning 180m and 52m high, and weighing around 1,000t.
The project is currently 55% complete, and progress is expected to reach 70% by the end of the year, said Ali Majed Al Mansoori, chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports.
“We are extremely proud to maintain our track record of achieving key construction milestones safely in spite of the project’s architectural complexity. We owe this success to our outstanding construction team, the contractors and the Capital Projects and Construction Division.”
