Steady development relies on knowledge and new solutions

“Keflavík Airport is constantly developing, and it can be said that every year, one of the largest infrastructure projects in the country is underway there. We are investing 10-12 billion a year in its development. The aim is to increase the quality so that airport guests can enjoy the service and experience in the best possible way,” says Maren Lind Másdóttir, Chief Airport Development and Infrastructure Officer at Keflavík Airport. An interview with her was published in the special issue of Viðskiptablaðið about the Verk og vit conference.

Maren says that the development and operation of infrastructure at an international airport is a challenging task that relies on talented and ambitious staff who utilize the latest developments and technical solutions in civil engineering.

“The constant and extensive construction at an international airport creates challenges that are rarely found elsewhere. It’s one thing to design and build a 25,000 square meter building, but it’s quite another to do it at an operating airport, where you have to take into account the operation of the airport, air traffic and flight safety during everything. We are also building and upgrading existing structures, which is also a challenge, because you have to make sure that everything fits together when it’s finished,” she says. Maren says it’s best to meet challenges like this as early in the process as possible. “When we plan projects, we look at their overall timeline but also their interaction with and impact on other projects or the maintenance and operation of the airport.” She also points out that the airport has a community of operators and other stakeholders who can be affected by the construction and will use its results. "It is important that they are well informed throughout the process and can provide their suggestions. We work on this according to the so-called ORAT methodology (Operational Readiness, Activation & Transition), and the main goal is to ensure that when the implementation is complete, processes are up to date and staff are ready to operate in accordance with expectations," says Maren.

3D technology increases construction quality

New technological solutions also play a major role in the development of KEF. "Since 2015, for example, we have placed great emphasis on adopting the best technological solutions in 3D design. The BIM methodology (Building Information Modeling) is important in our design and construction work. It is based on the principle that project information is compatible and accessible to everyone. When 3D tools are used correctly by talented people, they can not only save time and money, but also significantly improve the quality of the design and the construction itself." Construction areas are regularly photographed with a 3D scanner, and the images are compared with the 3D design. “This way, you can catch collisions, for example, if two pipes collide, much earlier and prevent mistakes,” says Maren, adding: “The development has been so fast that now we just scan a space as we walk through it. We have joked that we are really like a Google Maps car driving around the work site.”

Implementing new solutions is part of the culture

Maren says that there is actually an industry emerging within the construction sector that is all about new methods, technologies and systems. “It is part of our culture to adopt everything that can contribute to even better results,” she says. "There was great foresight on the part of those who decided in 2015 to focus on 3D technology. We have also been pioneers in implementing ORAT in Iceland and other innovations. As a result, we as a company now have such a wealth of knowledge and experience in this field that institutions and companies that want to adopt new methods and technological solutions come to us. Of course, we always welcome such requests, as those of us who work in this industry in Iceland must share our knowledge and experience – we all benefit from it."

A unique workplace

“The most enjoyable part of this job is working with people who have excellent knowledge in their field and know how to use it. There is no other workplace that offers such a diverse and fun range of projects in the field of design, construction and operation of structures – we are lucky to work here,” says Maren, who has worked at Keflavík Airport since 2012. The projects at the international airport are incredibly diverse, not only new construction or expansion of existing ones, but also everything related to the operation and maintenance of the airport’s infrastructure. “The large projects always get the most space in the media, but we are constantly working on taxiways for the aircraft, aircraft stands, baggage sorting systems, service solutions and so on – not to mention maintenance, which is a lot and extremely important, as you can understand.”