AAI Bats for BIM for New Terminal Construction at Guwahati Airport
One of the first Public Sector Airport Projects in India to use Building Information Modelling (BIM) for entire project lifecycle of design, build, operate
With a strong focus on innovation and use of advanced technology, Airports Authority of India (AAI), has identified BIM (Building Information Modelling) as the design and planning platform for construction of the New Integrated Terminal Building (NITB) of Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati. The new 90,000 sq mts terminal, will have 64 check-in counters, 20 self-check-in desks, eight Immigration counters, eight custom counters, six arrival carousels, 10 escalators, 25 elevators, 16 self-baggage drop counters and 20 aircraft parking bays.
Architecture Firm, Design Forum International (DFI) and AECOM, a premier, fully-integrated global infrastructure firm have leveraged Autodesk BIM solution, Revit to design the NITB of the airport. Autodesk Revit will help to enhance collaboration of the entire project team– from design, fabrication, and construction to operations and maintenance – to make informed decisions from a common point of understanding. The cloud-based collaboration for Revit service provides centralised access to Revit models, and lets project team members at multiple sites co-author Revit models regardless of their physical location. This cloud-enabled work-sharing also lets team members see each other’s work and communicate with one another in real time.
DFI has taken inspiration from the mythological figure, Icarus to create the unique design of this new terminal, ensuring seamless and state-of-the-art infrastructure for generations to come. DFI has designed the NITB with a 4-Star GRIHA rating parameter. The focus on sustainability was imbibed right at the design inception stage by inter-weaving the built form with the outdoor environment. The indoor forest is a physical manifestation of this approach – it is separated by a glass wall from the more massive outdoor forest, fitting into a groove with the terminal building and becoming an integral part of the overall built structure. The car park structures are designed to be covered with photovoltaic panels that generate almost 500 KW of solar energy.
Member planning, Airports Authority of India (AAI), A.K Pathak, said, “Today, India is going through major infrastructural development and transformative projects which will be the key success drivers of this phenomenon. The aviation sector is growing at a rapid pace where modern airports are being planned across the country. We need modern technologies to fuel this growth and build the infrastructure of the future. Some of the best airports worldwide have used advanced technologies like BIM and we believe it’s the right time for India to adopt this industry best practice to realise the country’s vision in infrastructure development.”
Commenting on this development, head of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) at Autodesk, India & SAARC, Sunil MK, said, “With the decision to use BIM on such a massive infrastructure project, Airport Authority of India is fuelling a paradigm change in the future of construction. We, at Autodesk, are excited to be part of this project as the technology provider. Our cutting-edge BIM platform, will enable better design and construction efficiency, lower cost and less negative impact on the environment.”
Partner, Design Forum International, Anand Sharma, said, “We conceptualized the design for the new terminal with an intent to enhance the experience and engagement of travellers. With the focus on contextual relevance, we infused the flavours of Assam in the overall design aesthetics. We firmly believe that after completion, this new terminal will set a high benchmark for various upcoming airport infrastructure projects in other parts of the country.”