General Project Overview
The airport extension is based on an architectural approach that respects the existing structure while also aiming for better contextual integration. The initial building, designed to allow for future evolution, now sees its expansion potential fully activated.
However, beyond mere continuity, the designers undertake a fresh reflection by fully integrating the geographical, cultural, and historical reality of Martinique, which was absent from the original project.
The architectural approach deeply reconfigures the functional organization of the site. The linear paths of the original design are abandoned in favor of a loop organization that optimizes passenger and baggage circuits, increases the areas for security checks, check-in counters, and sorting systems. This new configuration provides a smoother and more coherent reading of the spaces, while giving back the central large hall a true spatial and symbolic identity.
The intervention also introduces a strong gesture: a monumental red sphere, evoking Mount Pelée, dear to Aimé Césaire, becomes an iconic visual symbol, visible from both the ground and the sky. It embodies the imagination of the place and connects the project to the poetic and territorial memory of the island.
Technical Challenges and Modeling
The extension project faces numerous technical constraints due to the articulation between new structures and the existing building, as well as the extreme seismic context in which it is situated. Two major areas have been treated with particular attention: the East extension, which is a new building but immediately adjacent to the existing terminal, and the elevation of part of the original building, planned since the initial design in the 1990s but not realized until now.
For these two interventions, detailed structural models have been developed. The geometry of the framework was generated from wireframe files from the architectural models, accurately converted into elements usable by engineering tools. Each structural sub-assembly was analyzed using an iterative dynamic approach, progressively refining the support stiffnesses according to the structural responses obtained. This method proved indispensable for achieving satisfactory convergence, especially in a context where the site is classified in seismic zone 5, in importance category IV, and rests on a class D soil.
Furthermore, the very nature of the facility requires large and unobstructed interior spaces, which significantly constrained the position of stabilization elements. Their integration thus had to meet a dual requirement of mechanical performance and functional usability. Due to the large size of the structure and the high number of modeled structural elements, computation times became a critical factor. Managing this complexity required fine-tuning of numerical simulations, as well as structuring the models through families of elements to optimize computer processing.
In the existing building, some areas are braced using cables functioning in pure tension. Their verification in the context of the new extensions required the implementation of nonlinear calculations to ensure their behavior under modified seismic conditions. Finally, the overall verification of the existing structure’s strength after construction works demanded several models that incorporated regulatory developments since the original construction.
These models allowed for encompassing a wide range of conditions: variation of response spectra, adjustment of material behavior coefficients for steel and concrete, recalculation of deep foundations. This comprehensive approach resulted in a rigorous and regulation-compliant evaluation of the project.
Calculation Tools
The RFEM software was used for modeling and calculation of the entire project. It enabled precise handling of the building’s geometric complexity, interactions between new and existing structures, as well as the constraints related to the site’s high seismicity, classified in zone 5. Several additional modules were used in a targeted manner. The RF-DYNAM Pro module was used for modal analyses and seismic calculations according to Eurocode 8, with a fine definition of response spectra tailored to the local characteristics. The design of the steel structures was carried out using RF-STEEL EC3, while reinforced concrete elements, such as walls, slabs, and others, were verified with RF-CONCRETE.
The organization of the model by zones, the use of families of structural elements, and mesh optimization allowed us to control calculation times without compromising precision or regulatory compliance of the results.
Conclusion
The Aimé Césaire Airport extension project embodies an engineering and architectural challenge at the crossroads of functional, technical, and cultural issues. This large-scale project, conducted in a constrained environment, demonstrates the possibility of reconciling operational continuity, constructive innovation, and territorial integration, to make the airport a sustainable, efficient, and symbolically strong facility.
Article From: www.dlubal.com