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INTRODUCTION

 

Project Phoenix – London Luton Airport MSCP 2

Customer: MSW UK Ltd

Client: London Luton Airport

Main Contractor: BAM Construct UK

System: ComFlor® 80 closed ends with MagiZinc® 310 coating for more aggressive environments

 

In October 2023, London Luton Airport experienced a major incident when a fire broke out in Terminal Car Park 2, a multi-storey facility with capacity for approximately 2,000 vehicles. The fire caused extensive structural damage, leaving the building unsafe and resulting in the loss of hundreds of vehicles.

The airport faced a significant challenge: safely demolishing the damaged structure, recovering approximately 1,300 trapped vehicles, managing contamination and debris removal, and restoring critical passenger infrastructure within a demanding timeframe ahead of the busy summer travel season.

Project Phoenix was launched to deliver the safe and efficient replacement of the facility while ensuring airport operations could continue with minimal disruption. 

The Challenge

 

The replacement multi-storey car park required a solution that balanced programme certainty, cost control, safety, and long-term durability. Effective collaboration between London Luton Airport, BAM Construction, MSW and the wider project team was essential to manage risk, maintain operational continuity, and deliver a resilient infrastructure solution capable of supporting future airport growth.

In addition to the scale and complexity of the rebuild, the project provided an opportunity to introduce innovative Building Systems UK technologies that could improve installation efficiency, performance, and lifecycle value. 

The Solution

 

Building Systems UK supplied the ComFlor® 80 composite steel decking system featuring precision crimped closed ends and the advanced MagiZinc® 310 coating.

ComFlor® 80 closed ends

The ComFlor® 80 closed ends profile incorporated Building Systems UK's newly developed precision crimped technology. These factory-formed closed ends seal the decking troughs, preventing concrete leakage during slab construction and eliminating the need for traditional on-site foam fillers or individual end caps.

This innovation delivered several key benefits:

  • Faster and more efficient installation.
  • Reduced on site labour requirements.
  • Improved ease of installation on pre-studded steel beams.
  • Reduced resource use.

Beyond installation benefits, the closed end profile also contributes to improved fire performance and acoustic properties within the completed floor slab.

MagiZinc® 310 Coating

The project also utilised Building Systems UK's MagiZinc® 310 coating, an advanced zinc-magnesium-aluminium metallic coating designed as a superior alternative to conventional galvanised steel.

By incorporating magnesium and aluminium into the zinc layer, MagiZinc® 310 provides enhanced corrosion resistance and durability compared with standard galvanised coatings, helping to extend the expected service life of the structure while reducing long-term maintenance requirements.

Outcome

 

The fire damaged multi-storey car park was safely dismantled and successfully rebuilt, delivering a modern facility with capacity for approximately 1,900 vehicles, together with a brand-new passenger drop-off zone.

Through collaborative project delivery and the adoption of innovative Building Systems UK solutions, Project Phoenix achieved:

  • Safe demolition and reconstruction of a critical airport asset.
  • Efficient programme delivery within a challenging timescale.
  • Reduced installation time through the use of ComFlor® 80 closed ends technology.
  • Improved durability and corrosion protection through MagiZinc® 310 coating.
  • A resilient, future-ready parking facility supporting London Luton Airport's ongoing operations and growth.

Project Phoenix stands as a testament to the value of innovation, collaboration, and engineering excellence in the successful delivery of complex infrastructure projects.