Dubai International Airport expansion A self-adjusting prestressed tension rod façade system with parametric design

Dubai International Airport experienced an increase in passenger numbers from 4.3 million in 1990 to some 40 million in 2008, and this figure is expected to rise further. To meet the needs of this influx of travellers and airlines, the government of Dubai launched a major expansion of the airport in 2002, involving the construction of the new terminal 3 plus its concourses 2 and 3  -  a total investment of US$ 4.1 billion.
The envelope of the double-curvature concourses, 950 m and 600 m long respectively, is intersected by 142 triangular façades, the “teardrop-windows”. The prestressed tension rod system has been designed to adjust automatically to the different geometries of the individual façades with up to 475 m2 of surface area. Besides the filigree appearance, easy and reliable installation and pretensioning are the major advantages of the system. The structure of the teardrop-windows consists of two orthogonally arranged tension rods with opposing curvature. The tension rod system is connected to a perimeter edge beam and is therefore self-retaining, similar to the well-known “tennis racket” system. Thus, no reaction forces caused by pretensioning are transferred into the primary steel construction.