Focus On… T5

Phase one opened on 27th March 2008 and includes the main terminal and the first of two satellite buildings. The second satellite is due for completion in 2011. Passengers accommodated (total): 30 Million per year. Area of T5 site: 260ha (around the same size as Hyde Park). The main terminal is 396m long by 176m wide by 40m high (the interior space could accommodate around 50 football pitches).
The satellite building is 442m long by 52m wide by 19.5m high (bigger than Terminal 4).
Twin river diversion: 6 km of new river channels.
Multi-storey carpark: 4000 spaces. The T5 project includes a total of 13.5km of bored tunnel – equivalent to around one third of the underwater section of the Channel Tunnel.
Heathrow Express extension: 3.2km total length (2 x 1.6km each bore), 5.7m diameter twin bore tunnel.
Piccadilly Line extension: 3.4km total length (2 x 1.2km each bore), 4.5m diameter twin bore tunnel.
Airside Road tunnel: 2.6km total length (2 x 1.3km each bore), 8.1m diameter twin bore tunnel.
Stormwater Outfall tunnel: 4.1km, 2.91 m diameter single bore.
A3044 service tunnel crossing: 280 m (2 x 140m), 2.5m diameter twin bore.
Length of site roads: 6km.
Number of tower cranes: 30 at peak.
Total volume of earthworks: 6.5Mm³ of earth moved (enough to fill the new Wembley Stadium one-and-a-half times).
Pavement quality concrete: 335,000m³ poured (4,700m³ per week at peak).
Structural concrete: 1.2Mm³ (14,000m³ per week at peak).
Steel reinforcement: 150,000t. Structural steel: 80,000t (Wembley Stadium has 23,000t).
Number of site facilities: 6 site compounds.
Area of archaeology works: 100ha excavated and surveyed Landscaping: 450 native semi-mature trees, 2,000 native semi-mature shrubs and over 100,000 evergreen ground cover shrubs.

Terminal 5 is not the beginning or end of a journey but a point of transit in a longer journey – a very spectacular 'point'. Hailed as a new landmark for London, T5 is characterised by open space and natural light. The main terminal building, referred to as Concourse A, is crowned by a distinctive waveform roof and, at 400m by 150m, it is one of the largest single-span structures in the UK. Designed by the Richard Rogers Partnership, Heathrow's fifth terminal promises to be a stunning new gateway into Britain; it will provide the passenger with a travel experience. With the steel structure of the main terminal measuring 40m high, 396m long and 176m wide, the sheer scale of the building is both imposing and impressive.

BAA is committed to building T5 in an environmentally and socially responsible way. As a result, an extensive programme of safeguards and mitigation plans have been established to both protect the environment and the interests of local people during its construction. Central to this is a Code of Construction practice which has been developed to ensure construction is rigorously managed. Included are a variety of measures aimed at limiting the impact of construction on the locality.