Fidel Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Airport passenger terminal is a firetrap: designer People could die in an evacuation because of blocked exits: Wanchai BANGKOK: -- Suvarnabhumi Airport passenger terminal has been rendered a firetrap by construction changes and operational mismanagement, one of its designers warned yesterday. "In a case of fire, there could be evacuation problems and people could die," he asserted. ACT Consultants managing director Wanchai Wimuktayon is worried emergency exits are blocked and many can only be opened with security key cards. He demanded Airports of Thailand (AOT) address his concerns immediately. It must train staff for emergency evacuations, too. Wanchai said some fire exits were used for worker access and needed cards for passage. "From our survey, several fire exits in the passenger terminal are blocked by retail stock, baggage trolleys or cleaning carts. Some exits are locked." He said airport security personnel did not know how to conduct emergency evacuations. A state-appointed committee inspecting Suvarnabhumi problems has cited 61 faults and accused the Murphy Jahn/TAMS/ACT design consortium of being responsible for terminal defects. Wanchai admitted fewer-than-required fire exits and toilets were flaws. But, he said, the six administrations that ordered changes along the drawn-out design-and-construction phase should take responsibility, too. The design took 12 years to complete because 24 changes were ordered. Each of those was redesigned, too, he said. The overall structure remains true to the original design in order to meet Japan Bank for International Cooperation lending criteria. But many details have been changed. There were too few toilets because space originally earmarked for toilets was taken over by "other things". "I have to admit, too, there are violations of the Building Control Act due to problems with fire exits and a shortage of toilets. When the design was drawn, the government told us there would be a ministerial regulation to accommodate the changes," Wanchai said. "However, that government went out of power and subsequent administrations did not make the amendments. "It is the AOT which has to correct them to comply with the law." Aside from passenger terminal problems, Suvarnabhumi suffers from cracks on its landing area. Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um yesterday assigned AOT director Tortrakul Yomnak to head another airport committee. Tortrakul investigated damage to runways. His new committee will recruit local and international engineers to re-evaluate and solve problems. Parts of the airport landing field have been closed to accommodate repair work and some flights will have to be diverted to Bangkok International Airport at Don Muang. It reopens on March 21. AOT next week finalises terms of reference for private companies to bid for Don Muang concessions, including transport, communications and information systems. -- The Nation 2007-02-21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 I think just about any building in LOS is a fire trap....there'll be some colossol loss of life at a condo or apartment building eventually... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyinEwa/Perv Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 What next??? Building will be condemed (did I say condom) because of bugs? The whole thing will sink into the swamp below? What a bad situation this is for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Look at USA airports... anybody know how to get out of any of them? A disaster waiting to happen is the international airport at LA. One day I watched a man push a cart with two suitcases and park it in front of one of the large baggage scanners and then walk away. He later returned, about 20 minutes later. If it was a bomb, security could give a shit and this was during a time period when there was a lot of people at the airport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 If there is a fire...just jump down into one of the cracks in the runways! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trooper Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Can an airport burn? It's all metal and glass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 Yes it can burn quite well. Think of all the over-priced booze and perfume. :grin: Furnishings, paint, electrical wiring, conveyor belts (motors), plastics, oils, etc. Remember there has already been a fire at the airport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelseafan Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 Am I the only one who acutally thinks the new airport is great? Took me less than 1/2 hour from leaving the plane to getting into a taxi, never had that at Don Muang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 I never had problems at Don Muang. A 1/2 hour from plane to taxi was typical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 Yep, no probs wif Don Muang. Ride the bus to the terminal, walk to the farthest immigration booth (which most folks didn't even know was there beyond the pillar), show my passport, walk through the "nothing to declare" line ... and head to the taxi queue. Easily under half an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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