Powerpoles enhance passenger security
- Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 14:17
- Featured
- Add a comment
Technical performance, great aesthetics and ease of installation clinched the deal for Marshall-Tufflex’s Powerpole cable containment solution to handle power and data feeds within the new One Terminal facility at Birmingham Airport, the UK’s second largest outside London.
The airport handled more than 8.5 million passengers last year (2010) and is expecting that number to grow, particularly now that its facilities have been improved with the £13m development of the One Terminal project, which has united two terminals, creating a larger security area and improving the experience of travellers.
The Marshall-Tufflex ‘island’ location Powerpoles have been installed within the Terminal’s Passenger Security Area (PSA), handling power and data cables for vital X-ray, scanning and security equipment. They were specified jointly by Birmingham Airport and mechanical/electrical consulting engineer Hulley & Kirkwood. They also met D5 Architects’ requirements for an aesthetically pleasing solution to containing ceiling-fed power and data services to the point of use.
Birmingham Airport’s Terminal electrical engineer Mohammed Benyahia said: “The use of Powerpoles provides the correct solution for the provision of power and data to the security equipment, whilst also keeping cable lengths to a minimum and eliminating trip hazards in this very busy area of the airport. We are very pleased with the end result.”
Hulley & Kirkwood agreed that the Powerpoles met the overall specification requirements of all parties, adding that they contributed logistically to the need to keep the airport operational at all times throughout the 13 month period of building works.
Stephen Harris, Regional Director for Hulley & Kirkwood, explained: “We required a means of containing large amounts of different types of data and power cabling of various voltages, yet we needed to maintain flexibility and adaptability for future additions or modifications. We selected the Powerpoles as they met this technical capability, whilst the architect chose them primarily for aesthetic appearance.”
The main contractor for the One Terminal project was Morgan Sindall, with building works carried out in three phases. Marshall-Tufflex Powerpoles were supplied and installed in phase two by electrical services contractor Summit Electrical and in phase three by Prolec.
