The Role of Airports in Today's World
Airports have become one of the most important places in our globalizing world. They are huge welcome centers with thousands of square meters of space that host countless visitors. Airports also play an important role in creating the first impressions of visitors about a city. According to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), it is predicted that the number of air passengers will reach 4 billion in 2024. Designing a space that accommodates such a high passenger capacity and circulation while being enjoyable, functional, and sustainable presents many challenges.
Floor Solutions Required at Airports
Durability, high thermal and acoustic insulation, high slip resistance, longevity, flexibility, ease of maintenance, and decorative appearance are the main floor covering properties sought in airports. Airport floors, subject to 24/7 heavy traffic, require a high level of durability. Robustness is extremely important compared to other commercial areas, as thousands of arriving and departing passengers, wheeled suitcases, and cargo weights can wear down the floor.
In this never-ending high-volume traffic, floors can easily get dirty, and demanding cleaning routines can make maintenance even more difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to turn to easily cleanable materials that can keep up with the chaos.
Top Flooring Options for Airports
Airports have a variety of areas that serve different functions, such as security checkpoints, flight gates, rest areas, waiting halls, bars, restaurants, outlets, kiosks, offices, wet areas, airlines agencies, currency exchange offices, health offices, baby care rooms, places of worship, tourism offices, and cargo loading bays. Each area has different flooring needs, and the appropriate floor covering should be selected based on the specific function of the space, while also meeting general requirements for features and durability.
Raised Floor Systems
Raised floor systems are preferred because they provide both aesthetic and functional benefits in areas where wiring, heating, cooling, and ventilation installations are extensively used on the ground. These modular systems can be quickly and easily installed, making maintenance more convenient. They are often used in technical offices, including electricity and server rooms in airports, where there is a need for intensive cabling.
Carpet Tile
Carpet tiles offer multiple benefits to spaces, including warmth, color, and comfort. They are long-lasting and easy to maintain. Thanks to their anti-static properties, they discharge static electricity that may occur and help protect the air quality of the environment by preventing dust from flying. The deformed part of the material is easy to replace, making it economical. Carpet tiles are primarily preferred for use in passenger waiting areas due to their acoustic and walking comfort.
The polyamide yarns used in commercial carpet tiles are resistant to dirt and stains. Even spilled coffee can be easily cleaned from the surface using pure water, without the need for any detergent. These carpet tiles can be combined with different floor coverings, such as parquet, natural stone, and LVT, to create stylish and contemporary floors.
Woven Vinyl
Woven vinyl floors combine the warmth and texture of textiles with the durability and performance of vinyl. They are a contemporary version of woven textile upholstery, designed to be durable, comfortable, easy to maintain, and stylish. They are developed for public spaces that are exposed to harsh conditions, such as airports, hotels, offices, shops, and restaurants. You can create extraordinary combinations by combining different forms, such as squares, diamonds, hexagons, or lozenges, with various colors.
Woven vinyl coverings have a high-performance base structure that effectively absorbs ambient noise and largely eliminates impact noise. In addition, Woven vinyl flooring can meet the criteria for the intensive use class. Although the structure of the Woven vinyl fabric creates an embossed surface, it is waterproof, dustproof, and stain-resistant.
LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tiles)
Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) are highly resistant to external factors such as moisture, mold, stains, and scratches, thanks to the protective chemicals used between its top layer and layers. This ensures that it maintains its robustness and appearance of the first day for many years. Its water and steam resistant structure also makes it a preferred material for many places within the airport.
Besides being easy to install, clean, maintain, and repair, the fact that it is economical for wide application areas such as airports is also an important factor. For all these reasons, LVT is preferred for areas with high circulation in terms of sustainability. Moreover, it offers a wide variety in terms of design, making it suitable for transforming spaces such as waiting rooms, lounges, or restaurants into warm, inviting places away from monotony.
Woven vinyl and LVT floor coverings are preferred in circulation areas, shopping, and dining areas due to their decorative nature.
Flexible Floor Coverings
Linoleum, rubber, and PVC floor coverings (both homogeneous and heterogeneous) are excellent options for technical offices in airports. These flexible floor coverings come in a variety of colors and patterns and are recommended for areas that experience heavy traffic due to their easy application, maintenance, and cleaning; acoustic performance; high slip resistance; durability; and resistance to water.
Epoxy
Epoxy is preferred in areas such as parking lots, terminals, and maintenance hangars due to its high resistance to impact and fire, ease of cleaning, long-lasting and high slip resistance, as well as its high humidity resistance