Airport Construciton
An airport is a facility where flight operations, aircraft maintenance and storage take place. The airport is where large commercial aircraft as well as smaller aircrafts carrying both cargo and passengers land and take off from. The airport must therefore contain at least one active runway. It also has buildings where aircraft control and maintenance staff operate from, control towers and passenger facilities such as lounges, restaurants or hotels, taxi bays, long term parking space for use by travellers and different terminals. Airports must be built by people who have undergone construction training and have gained experience over time to ensure standards are met.
More information on construction training
Why are airports built?
Airports are entry and exit points for people travelling across countries as well as for different types of goods. They therefore facilitate ease of travel globally. They are also important in facilitating trade between countries, different regions and economic blocks. Airports have made it easier for companies to import qualified and skilled labour from developed countries to developing countries which increases the pace of development. It is through these airports that people can move to different countries in search of better education and health services. Therefore the major reason why airports are built is to ease travel and facilitate importation and exportation of goods and services.
Who can build an airport?
Airports are usually public utility facilities and they utilise a lot of land and resources to build. In the world, most airports are owned and overseen by governments be it local, regional or national governments. However, the government can lease them out to large corporations that have the human and capital resources to run them efficiently. They are therefore built by the government either directly or through outsourced personnel. There are smaller airports that may be privately built and owned in different countries but they are not as many.
Where are airports built?
Most airports are strategically located in major cities across the world. This is because they serve a large portion of the population and therefore there is a need for a location that can easily be accessed by the masses. This also facilitates import and export and therefore trade in the city. A single city may have as many airports as possible provided it has the land to accommodate them. Major considerations on the area where an airport is constructed includes the soil type, the weather commonly experienced in the area, what the surrounding land holds and so on.
How is an airport constructed?
Commercial aircrafts can weigh tonnes. The airport runways must be able to accommodate this weight without constant wear and tear. This is important given that any commercial runway handles thousands of landings and take offs every year. Those tasked with its construction must therefore put together a solid plan before the actual construction work begins. This should consider the type of airport, the expected level of traffic, the types of aircraft that will be used, the stability of the land on which the airport will be based as well as predictions on how the traffic will change over time.
Runways are usually made from asphalt, concrete or a combination of the two. This is due to the strength of the two materials. The runways are measured and dug to a certain depth and width, filled with the appropriate material according to the construction standards in place and given time to set and dry up well. Once complete, they are marked appropriately and such things as lights incorporated for ease of guidance. The airports must be of the highest standards to prevent unnecessary accidents from happening and to ensure that aircraft lasts longer. Remember that they must also be maintained well to function properly.