Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport—Exposed Steel Structure

Building Details

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) is one of the major aviation hubs in Thailand and Asia. It is located in Samut Prakan and Nonthaburi provinces, approximately a 30-minute drive from downtown Bangkok. Terminal 1 features a central main building with six radial concourses extending outward. Boarding gates are divided into Zones A–G (Zones A, B, and C on the east side; Zone D in the center; and Zones E, F, and G on the west side), with a total of 120 boarding gates (including A380 gates).

The overall structure primarily consists of steel frames and exposed concrete. A large space structure roof covered with white membrane is placed atop the functionally independent building complex, unifying the spatial form and shaping the main architectural image as viewed from ground level. The overall architectural style is relatively rugged, direct, and unadorned, featuring both refined components and rustic materials with exposed piping, restoring the essence of architecture as a structural and mechanical entity.

Structural Overview

The departure hall roof structure measures 567 meters by 210 meters (42+126+42) in plan. The entire roof consists of eight super trusses supported by 16 frame-type steel columns. The super trusses consist of a 126-meter central span and 42-meter cantilevered ends at both ends. They feature triangular cross-sections with square web members, and their intersecting welds are more complex than those of circular tubes. Between the main trusses are 81-meter-span cable-stayed secondary trusses.

The facade curtain wall employs a cable-truss structure, with connection nodes that exude an industrial aesthetic; all multi-node intersections utilize cast steel joints.

The airport features seven four-story concourses—A, B, C, D, E, F, and G—with Concourse A serving domestic passengers and the remaining concourses dedicated to international passengers. The concourse structure combines arch trusses with membrane structures, with the envelope system located on the interior side of the structure. Consequently, the arch trusses are exposed steel structures, which places higher demands on the steel structure’s corrosion protection system.