Some may say the Kansai International Airport (KIX) is on an island; others, however, will tell you that the Kansai airport is the island.
The first of its kind and a duel between engineering and nature, this Japanese airport is situated on an artificial island – three mountains chiseled down to give it the shape and beauty of what is often called a civil engineering marvel and an unbelievable feat of man over nature.
But in this conflict of man and nature, the island sinks.
Seatbelt on?
Sit tight, we’re here to take you on a journey to the most daring and expensive civil project of its time – the sinking Airport of Kansai.
The mastermind
The contract of the Kansai international airport was finalised even before the location was. The brilliant Italian architect Renzo Piano is who designed this wonder and became the first in the world to do so.
The plan
The proposal to construct an artificial island on Osaka bay was made in 1987. This island would be four kilometres long, two and a half kilometres wide and five kilometres offshore. The terminal was to be one thousand and seven hundred metres long. The proposal was approved, even though it meant high precision and sophistication – for construction, and to make sure it could stand the wrath of nature. The construction thus began.
The mountains and other things
As you’ve already read, mountains had to be cut down to make the island. They also used millions of cubic metres of concrete. This island is, in fact, a combination of two islands that support one runway and terminal each. Their focus was first island I, which was completed in 1994 and opened on September 4th of the same year. Island II, however, took its sweet time, and was finished only in 2007.
The sinking
Because the airport site is constructed on a compacted fill, it sinks 2-4 centimetres every year.
It wasn’t unforeseen, either. The ground had already been stabilized. But because of the peculiar site, the ground and the airport that sat atop would keep sinking slowly. The rough estimates around how much the airport could sink were 10-25 feet. However, ever since its opening, it has already sunk 38 feet.
Disaster test
The airport had been built keeping in mind the possibility of a variety of natural(and man made) disasters like floods, earthquakes, typhoons and many more. This was put to test only four months after the opening, when an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 hit. Surviving some minor damages, the airport proved to be a boon in relief efforts and 24×7 transport
How far will the airport sink?
Statistics might not be the best predictors, if the previous ones are anything to go by. The airport has sunk much faster and much deeper than predicted, so who is to say?
The Kansai airport is a modern miracle that can be truly experienced only when you’re there. Have you packed your bags yet? Because we have!
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