OR Tambo International Airport
Project context
OR Tambo International is the busiest airport in Africa, handling over 20 million passengers a year across terminals that operate continuously. It is critical national infrastructure: there is no closing window, no quiet season and no tolerance for water ingress over public concourses, baggage systems or electrical plant.
Why this building is difficult to waterproof
Airport terminals combine nearly every difficult waterproofing condition at once. Roof spans are enormous, which concentrates thermal movement at joints and upstands, and they are densely penetrated by services, rooflights and plant. The building beneath is occupied 24 hours a day, so works must be phased around live operations with rigorous control of hot works, access and debris. The consequence of failure is disproportionate to the cost of the work — water reaching electrical or baggage-handling systems disrupts an entire operation, which is why specification and detailing standards on aviation projects sit well above ordinary commercial practice.
What TDS brings to projects like this
- ◆Approved applicator status for Derbigum, ABE, Prostruct, Darachem, Duo, Poly-Seal and Sika systems — a prerequisite for enforceable manufacturer-backed warranties.
- ◆Turnkey delivery covering CAD design and specification, supply, installation and quality control under a single contract.
- ◆Professional indemnity cover on design, and a 10-year insurance-backed guarantee on completed works.
- ◆Experience sequencing works around occupied and operational buildings, including live commercial and institutional environments.
- ◆Membership of the Master Builders Association and the Waterproofing Federation of South Africa.
Have a building with similar demands?
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