A major challenge with landmark infrastructure projects is that normally, you only have one chance to get them right. The scale of construction needed, and the planning and consultation required to ensure every aspect of the build meets its objectives is immense.
Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) is the perfect example of such a project. Its development has been spoken about for well over a decade; environmental assessments began in 2015-16, community engagement followed, the construction plan was finalised by late 2016, and construction by Multiplex officially began in November 2021.
When the first completed stage is ready in 2026, it will be only the second new major airport in Australia since Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport opened in 1970. And it can’t come soon enough, with the new airport desperately needed to cater to Sydney’s rapid projected aviation growth, which is expected to double over the next 20 years.
The new airport is a major undertaking, and one that must remain functional and relevant well into the future. Given the project’s importance, it’s no wonder that Western Sydney Airport Co Limited (WSA Co) – the company that was formed in 2017 to oversee the construction and operation of the airport – is seeking to achieve best practice across all aspects of the build.
The Fielders Design Solutions Group (DSG) was formed with the same best practices objective - to provide an industry leading customer experience that provides real value and support to building design and construction professionals across Australia. From concept to completion, the DSG team leverage their subject matter experts to provide design solutions and technical support throughout all stages of a project.
The DSG began working with Multiplex over two years ago to understand its key success metrics and technical project requirements for the WSI terminal structure. This early consultation led to a more thorough understanding of the project, allowing DSG to identify and recommend an efficient structural solution enabled by Fielders SlimDek 210® composite decking, saving months of construction time and leading to significant project program savings something that would not have been achievable using conventional construction methods.
SlimDek 210® features a unique trapezoidal shape and deep rib profile geometry that enables large unpropped spans up-to seven meters to be achieved. This capability allowed DSG National Engineering Manager, Marko Stankovic, to propose a completely new structural design for the terminal buildings, replacing conventional concrete beams and slabs with large span SlimDek 210® composite slabs supported on welded beams manufactured from BlueScope’s XLERPLATE® steel.
In addition to the design advantages of the large unpropped spans enabled by SimDek 210® the product can also deliver other advantages during construction including enabling immediate fit-out of floors below, a requirement for less equipment, materials and workers on-site as well as faster construction times leading to earlier hand-over.
This new structural design solution was presented to Multiplex to demonstrate how SlimDek 210® would enable significant time saving during construction while satisfying the complex technical performance brief for the structure. The proposal was assessed in detail by project structural engineers, ARUP, and subsequently adopted and taken on-board for the detailed design work.
Approximately 32,000m2 of Fielders SlimDek 210® 1.5mm and 25,000m2 of Fielders KF57® 1mm were successfully specified on the project documentation, with Marko and fellow DSG team member, Jack Huang, remained heavily involved providing technical support to Multiplex and its design and construction partners throughout the project life.
The bespoke construction solution offered and developed by the Fielders DSG is the first of its kind for this type of structure in Australia – and potentially, the world. As part of ongoing support, Marko and Jack have been regularly attending the Western Sydney International Airport site to support Multiplex and its subcontractors with installation and construction queries related to SlimDek 210®, helping their clients achieve industry best practice and watching their early structural design proposals come to life.
This level of commitment reinforces Fielders’ standing in the construction industry as innovators, solutions providers and uncompromising value add partners.
