Completion of the new £4.2bn Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport has moved a step closer after Amec started installation of the first of five 100-tonne service “chimneys” which will rise from the tops of the terminal’s main service cores at ground floor level to the roof space. The 15 m high chimneys contain the services for the new terminal including the ventilation, smoke extract, kitchen extract and mechanical and electrical services, along with control systems, lighting and small power.

To speed their construction, reduce the amount of labour needed on site and improve product quality, the chimneys are constructed from factory-assembled steel modules. All the chimneys have access walkways at each of the four floor levels. A decision has yet to made on whether the chimneys will be clad in mesh, onto which advertisements will be projected, or whether plasma screens showing advertising will be used. The new terminal, due to open in March 2008, will increase the airport’s passenger capacity by 35 million.

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Building Sustainable Design