Important extension work is being carried out in the southern part of the main terminal of New Zealand’s third largest airport in preparation for its complete refurbishment scheduled for 2030.

Attractive, patterned self-laying textile tiles have been chosen for all the areas where people will be passing through. Design and functionality for a rapid, secure solution that will allow the airport to remain open while work is being carried out.

Mapei solutions have been chosen for this project: PLANIPREP SC skimming mortar to prepare the substrates, ULTRABOND ECO TACK rapid tackifier specific for textile flooring, in this case with special sound-absorbent backing, and ULTRABOND ECO FIX for the other textile substrates, an adhesive renowned for its high level of permanent tack, even after flooring has been removed numerous times.

The Wellington Airport helps take nearly 6 million passengers direct to 25 destinations around the world every year and handles 85,000 aircraft movements.

The southern extension to the Main Terminal Building, which was completed in 2016, was the first major work to the airport since its opening in 1959.

The terminal development was designed to facilitate increased passenger numbers for current and future requirements. This was achieved by providing both increased building area and a reconfiguration of the operational facilities within the south end of the terminal. This included a refinement of the security screening to the South West Pier, reorganized access to the South Pier Regional gates and additional width to the South Pier. The extension project was officially launched in November 2016 and was designed by architects Warren and Mahoney. It saw the new structure constructed up and over the existing buildings while simultaneously facilitating 20,000 daily passengers and over 200 daily aircraft movements. The extension created a much-enhanced passenger experience, vastly improving the passenger flow through the terminal. There is now an extra 6000 m² of space, new seating, more food and shopping choices and a convenient centralised screening point.

Wellington Airport’s terminal south extension project was awarded tourism and leisure category winner and a gold award held at the New Zealand Commercial Project award ceremony on 18^th May, 2018.

New Zealand Commercial Project Award judges commented, “The addition is so well integrated that it looks as though it was always intended as the completion of the southern end of the building.”

MAPEI PRODUCTS ON BOARD

The new and existing concrete floor substrates were prepared by way of a mechanical grind and re-surfaced using PLANIPREP SC. This is a high-performance, polymer-modified, fiber-reinforced cement-based skimcoating and patching compound, which is distributed on the local market by Mapei New Zealand. It allows for fast-track flooring installations in 30 to 60 minutes after application.

The B2 backed carpet tiles manufactured by the Australian company Ontera Milliken Pty Ltd were installed using ULTRABOND ECO FIX, a solvent-free adhesive based on acrylic resins in water dispersion, formulated as an easily trowelable light cream paste. It is used for the installation of loose-lay carpet or resilient tiles intended to be releasable.

When dry, the ULTRABOND ECO FIX mantains a residual tack, even after repeated removal and successive relaying of the floor tiles: it is therefore possible to remove or substitute the flooring easily. The adhesive features very low emissions of volatile organic compounds (EMICODE EC1-certified) and can be used in areas with heavy foot and normal wheeled chair traffic.

On the other hand, the Ontera cushioned backed carpet tiles were installed using ULTRABOND ECO TACK, an acrylic tackifier dispersed in water with a very low emission level of volatile organic compounds (VOC), for loose-lay carpet tiles. It may be used to hold and prevent slipping of loose-lay carpet tiles with any type of backing on all substrates normally used in the building industry, on existing flooring and on raised floors. ULTRABOND ECO TACK is also suitable for application on heated floors. It is non-flammable and has a very low emission level of VOC (EMICODE EC1). ULTRABOND ECO TACK is not hazardous for those who use the product or who use the environment where it has been applied.

Mapei
in New Zealand

The subsidiary holds offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and warehousing facilities in Auckland and Christchurch that allow them to supply to both local customers and customers in surrounding countries like Fiji with all the Group’s products, materials and technology.

Thanks to its staff of almost 20 people, Mapei New Zealand closed 2018 off with sales of 12.3 million NZD (approximately 7.3 million Euros) which is the highest the subsidiary has ever achieved by far and aims to hit 20 million NZD by 2020 (approximately 11.8 million Euros).

Mapei has supplied its products for numerous prestigious projects in the country: i.e. the structural strengthening of famous old Grafton Bridge in Auckland and the Shale Peak Stream Bridge near Christchurch, tunnelling work to create Rosedale wastewater treatment plant, the redevelopment of Aotea Square in Auckland and the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, the construction of  The Base, a modern shopping mall in Hamilton city, and the Sky City Hotel and Sky City Grand Hotel in Auckland, completion work on the McLaren Showroom in Auckland, the construction of Wigram Air Force Museum in Christchurch and the AUT Millennium National Aquatic Centre, renovation work on the Huhtamaki and Cedenco Foods factories, and the extension of Auckland International Airport, Christchurch Airport and redevelopment of Wellington Airport.