Access Engineering hands over completed projects at Mattala
International Airport
Nihal Jayathilaka, Senior Project Manager of Access
Engineering PLC
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Access Engineering PLC, the leading infrastructure development
solutions provider in Sri Lanka, played an important role in
infrastructure development work carried out at the Mattala International
Airport, which was entrusted by the main contractor, China Harbour
Engineering Company Ltd. The successful completion and timely delivery
of this national project was performed by utilizing state-of-the-art
technology and equipment in compliance to the most stringent quality and
safety standards.
Water Tower |
Funded by the Government of the Peoples Republic of China, the
construction of the Hambantota International Airport in Mattala is one
of the country's most exhilarating infrastructure projects which began
in 2009 and when fully operational, will be Sri Lanka's second
international airport after the Bandaranaike International Airport. The
new airport is expected to be a catalyst for the country's economic
development by enabling international trade, tourism, employment etc.
Access Engineering was entrusted with the construction of the Cargo
and Fire Rescue Buildings, design and construction of the Airport Access
Road, Supply and laying of external and internal water supply mains,
construction of a Water Tower and the construction of an Aviation Fuel
Hydrant System under the major infrastructure development of the
Hambantota International Airport. The combined value of these projects
amounts to over Rupees 2 Billion.
Along with the main contractor China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd,
Access Engineering was given the responsibility of designing and
constructing the Access Road to the Hambantota International Airport by
Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd. The 2.5 km, 4 lane road
consists of a 2 m wide central median, 3.2 m wide carriageways and 1.1m
wide walkways on either side. The road followed a completely new trace
which stretches through marshy areas that frequently remains flooded
during rainy seasons. The designers from Access Engineering took up the
challenge to provide a robust and economical solution to overcome this
issue.
Access Engineering implemented many value engineering solutions to
reduce costs and improve the quality of the Cargo and Fire Rescue
buildings which were completed on time complying with the highest
quality standards of a modern day Airport.
Fire & Rescue Building |
"Expertise of our support services was utilized extensively and we
even forayed into mechanical installation work such as the long span
roofing structure, in-house. We acquired and developed the expertise and
specialized knowledge that is required to excel in this fiercely
competitive sector of building construction by gearing up to meet the
challenges and the changes in the economic climate that would open up
many opportunities in the future." said Nihal Jayathilaka, Senior
Project Manager of Access Engineering.
The most noteworthy challenge Access Engineering took on is the
construction of the Aviation Fuel Hydrant System. After re-evaluating
predictions of Air Traffic and quality of services, Airport and Aviation
Services Ltd (Sri Lanka) along with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation,
was compelled to introduce an Aviation Fuel Hydrant System in the Apron
area of the Airport.
This development in the halfway stage of the project and many other
construction works were in critical and crucial stages. This new
introduction became a dilemma for Airport Aviation Services since it
would cause huge delays to the completion of the Apron Area of the
Airport and its timely completion was also under threat. However, Access
Engineering together with China Harbour Engineering provided innovative
solutions to overcome these obstacles by constructing the Aviation Fuel
Hydrant system without affecting the completion date. The Mattala Fuel
Hydrant Project was unique as it used sophisticated and modern
technology while strict quality standards and control measures were
implemented throughout.
As a major player in infrastructure development across Sri Lanka,
Access Engineering takes pride to be associated with some of the most
significant projects in the country which yet again proves that the
company continues to be the partner of choice in value engineering.
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