Construction work has begun on 11 buildings designed by UK-based architects TPS for Muscat International Airport, with the air traffic control (ATC) tower expected to be completed by April 2012.
Standing at just under 100m in height, the control tower will be the tallest-occupied building in Oman when it is finished early next year. The remaining ten buildings, which include an air transport management complex, a contingency and training centre and fire and sea rescue buildings, will be completed by October 2012.
Hanif Macci, the Dubai-based regional director for TPS, told Muscat Daily that the company's designs are 'off the drawing board' with all the buildings currently under construction. "The works are progressing. TPS is undertaking the detailed design work. The construction of the air traffic control tower, contingency and training centre and air transportation management complex is all progressing and the structural work is being done.
"We envision that the tower will be completed around April 2012. Completion of all the facilities is scheduled for around October 2012." Macci added that a key challenge has been meeting a strict series of requirements on a very tight schedule. "The main challenge for us is delivering the design to a very tight programme, going through various approval processes. We have met all the technical challenges."
The tower, which will require a series of dampers in order to minimise the effect of wind, will provide the essential air traffic control services and has been designed to satisfy all operational and regulatory requirements.
Working with Oman-based construction company Carillion Alawi, TPS and its sub-consultants are overseeing their design being implemented during the construction process which will include the installation of 'tuned mass dampers' to allow the air traffic controllers to work normally at that height.
The contingency and training centre will house classrooms, meeting rooms, simulators and a 100-seat auditorium, with the air transportation management complex consisting of gyms, laboratories, workshops, an area to watch air traffic controllers and a studio to broadcast weather forecasts.
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