Commissioned by main contractor SPIE, Severfield Steel Construction commenced work on KLM's new Crew Training Centre, The Link, at the beginning of April. The new facility at Schiphol-Oost will house five flight simulators, significantly expanding KLM's training capacity for pilots. The building is expected to be operational in mid-2026.
The construction of the Crew Training Centre is a complex project. SPIE is working on this in a construction consortium with Equans and Croonwolter&Dros. These parties have gained the necessary knowledge and experience in the 4AMS consortium, which has been KLM's permanent building management and maintenance partner for some time. The simulators have considerable energy requirements, which necessitate specific facilities. These have been incorporated into the design, and the building therefore meets the requirements for a Nearly Energy Neutral Building.
The realisation of The Link presents specific technical and logistical challenges. The simulators are extremely heavy and require special foundations. So-called DPA piles are used for this purpose, as their installation causes considerably less ground vibration for the existing simulators and the Operations Control Centre in the adjacent buildings. Each simulator is placed on its own concrete block (8x8x1 metre) with piles underneath.
Construction at Schiphol also requires additional coordination and safety procedures. The location is in a secure area, which necessitates additional access controls and coordination with airport authorities. Severfield Steel Construction has gained the necessary experience in this area, as we have already completed several projects at the airport.
For this project, we are supplying and installing over 428 tonnes of steel, hollow core slabs and roof cladding. The main supporting structure of the building is coated with a fire-resistant coating.