Proposed temporary helicopter landing facility off Séamus Quirke Road

Iwannahurl · 21-08-2013 11:36AM #1

Galway City Council, in partnership with the Health Service Executive, plans to provide a temporary emergency helicopter landing facility. The proposed location is at the Shantalla Community Park adjoining Séamus Quirke Road/Browne Roundabout. The facility is to be provided for approximately six months to facilitate the construction of a decked car park in University Hospital Galway and will consist of a temporary paved landing area with pathway to an existing car park at University Hospital Galway. Once the decked car park is completed the area shall be returned to parkland.

http://www.galwaycity.ie/GeneralNews/210813_02.html

biko · 21-08-2013 12:03PM

The article doesn't say when this is to begin, it's still only in the planned stage.

Plans and particulars of the proposed development are available for inspection at the offices of the Planning Section, City Hall, College Road, Galway, between the hours of 9a.m. and 4p.m., Monday to Friday, from Monday, 26th August to Monday, 7th October, 2013.
Submissions and observations with respect to the proposed development dealing with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area in which the development is situated may be made in writing to the Planning Department, Galway City Council, City Hall, College Road, Galway not later than Monday, 21st October, 2013.

galwaycyclist · 21-08-2013 01:44PM

Iwannahurl wrote: »

and will consist of a temporary paved landing area with pathway to an existing car park at University Hospital Galway. Once the decked car park is completed the area shall be returned to parkland.

My instinct would be to question this. Unless the ground is very very boggy should not need any paving or laying of hard core etc. Surely temporary decking laid across the grass is the usual method of providing a short term landing area?

gordongekko · 21-08-2013 01:47PM

galwaycyclist wrote: »

My instinct would be to question this. Unless the ground is very very boggy should not need any paving or laying of hard core etc. Surely temporary decking laid across the grass is the usual method of providing a short term landing area?

wheeling wheelchairs over slippy decking. Just as well they will be near a hospital.

Storm 10 · 21-08-2013 03:22PM

to facilitate the construction of a decked car park in University Hospital Galway

They are not going to put decking on the helicopter pad it says a decked car park, the pad would be constructed with tarmac or concrete as there is going to be a road from the pad to the Hospital.

Fey! · 21-08-2013 03:36PM

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Surely temporary decking laid across the grass is the usual method of providing a short term landing area?

Storm 10 wrote: »

They are not going to put decking on the helicopter pad it says a decked car park, the pad would be constructed with tarmac or concrete as there is going to be a road from the pad to the Hospital.

I think that what galwaycyclist means is that some kind of decking should be enough for a temporary landing pad rather than concreting it, moreso than confusion over the reference to a decked carpark.

Personally I think that a solid landing pad would be needed to avoid several tonnes of helicopter sinking into the ground during the rainy season (Jan - Dec

) instead of a temporary pad. It can't really be anything that can be shaken loose by the downdraught from the rotors (that's an assumption, but then again I know SFA about helicoptors)

galwaycyclist · 22-08-2013 01:39PM

This is the kind of stuff I was thinking of

http://www.mobi-mat-defense-deschamps.com/helipads.php

Mobi-Mat® Helipad is designed for the rapid and safe establishment of landing zones for expeditionary Forward Operating Bases (FOB), Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP), Drop Zones (DZ) and Medical Support Operations (MEDEVAC).

Mobi-Mat® Helipad, type A2X (1.65kg/sqm - 0.34 lb/sqft) was tested and selected as the lightweight/medium duty matting for rotary-wing aircraft by the Naval Air Warfare Center in Lakehurst, NJ and later won a comparative testing carried out by the 326th Engineer Battalion from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, KY.

Lightweight, commercial off the shelf (COTS) and expeditionary, Mobi-Mat® Helipad has been used to support rotary aircraft to include the CH-46, CH-53, AH-1, UH-1 and AH-64.

Easily transported by C-130, C-17 and CH-47, Mobi-Mat® Helipad is durable enough to sustain thousands of direct helicopter loads; reusable; easy to install without special tools; require little training; environmentally friendly; NVG-compatible; and low in cost.

edit: Or maybe this stuff
http://waypointaeronautical.com/products/acrosoma-composites/composite-helipad-aircraft-matting/
http://www.acrosoma.com/ShowContent.aspx?l=EN&SectionID=359

Or this stuff
http://www.rola-trac.co.uk/helipad-flooring.aspx

antoobrien · 22-08-2013 02:01PM

galwaycyclist wrote: »

This is the kind of stuff I was thinking of

http://www.mobi-mat-defense-deschamps.com/helipads.php

Looks like pouring (and later digging up) concrete will be cheaper.

johnsds · 23-08-2013 12:16AM

Fey! wrote: »

can't really be anything that can be shaken loose by the downdraught from the rotors (that's an assumption, but then again I know SFA about helicoptors)

Try to get to the pad when one of the new coast guard heli's takes off, the rotor downwash is IMMENSE. I'm speaking from experience.

Proposed temporary helicopter landing facility off Séamus Quirke Road

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