Portfolio Category: Airports

Client: Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN)
Funding Agency: Asian Development Bank
Period: April 2010 to June 2017
Consulting Association: Japan Airport Consultants Inc., GEOCE Consultants (P) Ltd
Approx. Value of Services: JAC’s – US$ 3.68 million, GEOCE’s part- NRs 189.91 million
Professional Staff Input: International (120) and National (661) person months

Salient Details

The project will enhance safety and capacity at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and three remote domestic airports-Lukla, Rara and Simikot. TIA’s airfield side infrastructure will be reconfigured and upgraded to international safety standards including provision or construction of (i) about 1,400 meters (m) of new main taxiways and link taxiways, (ii) 300 meters of runway extension and construction of runway end safety area, (iii) new international apron (about 80,000 m²), (v) an uninterrupted power supply system for essential airfield and security area lights, (vi) CNS and ATM equipment, and (vii) upgrading of rescue and firefighting system. TIA’s terminal infrastructure will be reconfigured and expanded. Basic safety improvements at the three remote domestic airports include a visual approach guidance system (VAGS) and abbreviated precision approach path indicator (APAPI) at Lukla airport, and runway threshold identification and runway end lights, CNS/ATM and MET equipment at Simikot and Rara airports. The project cost is about US$ 92 million. 

The consulting services consisted of detail engineering design, procurement of works and equipment, project management assistance and construction supervision of airports upgrading/improvement works. The consulting services were provided in two phases: Design Phase (April to December 2012) and Construction Supervision Phase (September 2012 to March 2017).

In Design Phase, main services included:

• Review of TIA Master Plan updated to 2028 including air traffic demand projection, facilities requirements and assessment for Phase 1A.
• Design of Infrastructures and facilities at TIA comprising of New international apron (78300 m²), 2 exit and  1 rapid way taxiways and  new parallel taxiway (starting 750 m section); Runway expansion (300 m on 02 side); Nepal Army Hangar (apron, taxiway, hangar area); Nepal Airline Hangar and Domestic Airlines Hangars (aprons, taxiways and hangar areas);Helipad (175×56 m); Car Parks for New Domestic Terminal Building (NDTB); New Apron at removed Domestic Terminal Building; New Apron at removed Departure Gates Area of International Terminal Building; Expansion and refurbishment of International Terminal Building; New Domestic Terminal Building (8000 m²); Drainage; Utilities (water supply, sewage and incinerator); Airfield Lighting and Power Supply (including runway center line lights); Foam Tender;  CNS/ATM equipment at TIA consisting of VCCS, VHF communications, renewal of VFR and ACC rooms and replacement of consoles, ATC automation, and MET equipment
• Design of CNS/ATM equipment at Lukla airport comprising VAGS and Abbreviated Precision Approach Path Indicator
• Design of CNS/ATM equipment at Simikot and Rara airports consisting of Snow Plough, Fire Fighting, AFL, ATS and MET equipment
• Design of Parallel Taxiway Expansion to Runway 02 comprising Taxiway (1300 m), drainage, utilities services, ancillary buildings, perimeter road
• Preparation of Prequalification Documents for the ICB contractors,
• Evaluation of PQ Applications of contractors and assistance to PQ of the contractors
• Preparation of Bid Documents,
• Assistance to procurement of contracts (ICB-01 and ICB-02)

Construction Phase (September 2012 to June 2017)

• Construction supervision, contract administration of works and equipment divided into two packages -ICB 01: Airside and Landside Terminal Improvement at TIA, Rara and Simikot Airports (US$ 61 million) and ICB-02: Supply and Installation of CNS/ATM Equipment at TIA and Lukla Airport (US$ 4.5 M). The construction supervision of ICB-02 contract was completed in March 16, 2014 and its DLP on September 7, 2015. The construction supervision of ICB-01 was ended in December, 2016.

• Design and Preparation of Bid Documents for re-bidding of ICB-01 Works (except A04 works) divided into 3 NCB packages (i.e. NCB-01: Runway Extension and Associated Works; NCB-02: Expansion and Reconfiguration of International Terminal Building and Associated Work; NCB-03:Utility Works)   based on  ADB’s Standard Bidding Documents, Small Works, Single-Stage, Two- Envelope Bidding Procedure and assistance to Employer (for clarification to bidder’s queries, bids opening) during procurement of works.

Client: Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN)
Funding Agency: CAAN
Period: September 2008 to June 2012
Consulting Association: GEOCE Consultants (P) Ltd, JOSHI Associates JV
Approx. Value of Services: Total NRs 15.92 million, GEOCE’s part- NRs 10.35 million
Professional Staff Input: National (120) person months, GEOCE’s part (110) person months

Salient Details

The Project was to develop additional infrastructures as per TIA Master Plan 2015 to enhance operational capacity of TIA. The consulting assignment was divided into two phases. Phase I: Design Phase comprised design of additional infrastructures – expansion of international apron (second phase); expansion and strengthening of domestic apron; aircraft maintenance base, hangar area and exit taxiways; and temporary domestic terminal building – divided in to 4 packages. Phase II: Construction Phase comprised of construction supervision of overlay of runway and taxiways; and first phase expansion of international apron.

Main services provided include:

Phase I: Design Phase

• Engineering surveys and DTM preparation, airport inventory survey and assessment of existing facilities to be affected by proposed development; soil and pavement investigation; construction materials survey
• Review TIA Master Plan 2015; review and update air traffic projection based on 2008 data at TIA
• Define Design criteria – Facilities to upgrade TIA to Category E  as per ICAO, Design Aircraft – Boeing 777-300
• Planning and development of alternative layouts of proposed additional infrastructures (in 4 packages)
• Options study, preliminary design and selection of layouts (of additional  infrastructures) for detail design
• Detail design of additional infrastructures – (i) Package  1: Expansion of International Aircraft Apron (Phase 2) to enable additional parking  stands for international jet aircrafts-comprising 13000 sqm of rigid pavement and associated work; (ii) Package 2: Expansion and  Strengthening of Domestic Aircraft Apron – to serve additional parking for domestic aircrafts and to become part of future international apron-comprising site development (183,000 sqm), parallel taxiway (at 182.5 m from runway center line) and two exit taxiways, apron and equipment yard – total 48,000 sqm heavy duty asphalt concrete and 74,000 sqm  cement concrete pavement; perimeter road (1 km); drainage, electrical services and other associated work; (iii) Package 3: Aircraft Maintenance Base, Hangar Area and Exit Taxiways – to  provide space for aircraft maintenance facilities including international and domestic aircrafts  hangars-comprising site development (87,000 sqm), exit taxiways with asphalt concrete pavement (about 23,400 sqm), apron and pre-hangar area with cement concrete pavement (about 31,700 sqm), access road (about 1 km), drainage and electrical services; and (iv) Package 4: Temporary Terminal Building – to cater growing domestic air traffic-comprising  new terminal building (8,300 sqm floor area), site development, service roads, and car park.
• Cost estimates and BoQ per package. Total cost estimate of above additional infrastructures is about US$ 28 M.
• Preparation of PQ documents including PQ Evaluation Criteria for civil works contractors.
• Preparation of bid documents for ICB and NCB contracts using pre-qualification and post-qualification methods of civil works procurements based on PWD Standard Bidding Documents (SBD)-Large and Medium Contracts. PWD SBD Large Contract is based on FIDIC Guidelines.

Phase II: Construction Phase

Construction supervision of works in two packages–(i) Package 1: Expansion of International Aircraft Apron (First Phase) and Equipment Yard  comprising site development, cement concrete pavement, drainage, electrical and other associated works (grease removal and repair of joint sealants from existing apron and equipment stand), NCB contract, FIDIC ; and (ii) Package 2: Runway and Taxiway Overlays comprising hot mix asphalt concrete resurfacing overlays of runway (3050×60 m) and 5 taxiways (total 85,000 sqm), ICB Contract, FIDIC. Total cost of the works contract was about US$ 4.5 million.