GRP Pipes for Renovating Airport Drainage System at Schiphol International Airport
l covers a total area of 2820 hectares, which is approximately 8 times the size of the Central Park in New York. With five runways and one small airstrip, the airside consists of 1.2 million m2 asphalt and 3.8 million m2 concrete. Stormwater is conveyed in 30 km culverts, 300 km stormwater sewers and 125 km concealed gutters – the complete drainage system totaling 455 km. Most of the reinforced concrete drainage underneath the airside’s paving has been installed in the 1960s. During the 1990s Schiphol Airport checked the condition of its old sewers. Video inspections showed cracks in the concrete pipe material. More examinations followed detecting the severest damages in areas that are most heavily frequented by arriving and departing planes. The traffic load condition was therefore reevaluated with the conclusion that the Boeing 747 is mainly responsible for the damages to the reinforced concrete pipes. Due to this situation and bearing in mind that the airport will have to be able to cope with larger aircraft such as the new Airbus 380, Schiphol opted for a renovation plan based on new requirements. Static calculations were thus made using the aircraft class DAC 750 with a maximum weight of 750 tons. This class meets the requirements for the traffic loads of the latest generation of aircrafts.