Year: 2016

Location: Milan, Italy

Country: Italy

Owner Builder: Consorzio Malpensa Construction

Contractor: Archiverde

Designer: SEA Aeroporti di Milano Linate e Malpensa

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Problem / Solution

Malpensa Airport in Milan, the main airport hub in northern Italy, is object in these years of a large number of actions to complete and update its facilities. The aim of this works is to use the available area between the two existing landing fields for passenger traffic service, providing the most significant future expansion in this area, without excluding extensions of the two existing terminals in order to improve the level of service and ensure the required operational flexibility. In the final configuration, Terminal 1 will be completed according to the original plan in progress, expanded to the south with the addition of a new north part of the building and built a new satellite (connected via underground tunnel to the main building). As part of the reorganization of the areas interested by the works some attraactive and low maintenance roof gardens are made thanks to expanded clay lightened growing soil.

Experience

Lightness, excellent porosity, water retention and good drainage capacity.

Why expanded clay?

For some areas within the Malpensa project were used about 100 m3 of lightened soil with expanded clay, lightweight substratum for roof gardens, made of special mixture of crushed expanded clay, mineral aggregates and organic components carefully selected and characterized by lightness, excellent porosity, good water retention, good drainage capacity, resistance and structural stability in time. The product meets the requirements of UNI 11235 and presents an ideal support for the development of plants and ensure its proper nourishment.