BLUELINE Technology brings Audio Connectivity to Brazil’s Salvador Bahia Airport. Pro Audio specialist ERHARDT PROJETOS this innovative IP-based distributed audio system because it delivers all the reliability and functionality the airport needs.
Brazil’s Luis E. Magalhaes International Airport, also known as the Salvador Bahia Airport, has been fitted with BLUELINE Digital distributed audio system that is helping airport staff and passengers to hear important announcements in perfect clarity.
The airport is currently undergoing an extensive expansion and modernisation programme that is being carried out in conjunction ACTEMIUM of VINCI ÉNERGIES. The first phase of the project was completed at the end of 2019 and involved the expansion of the passenger terminal, the construction of a new pier with six boarding bridges, the installation of a new baggage handling system and new client services including free and high-speed Wi-Fi.
The task of ensuring communications connectivity throughout the new pier and between the old and new parts of the terminal fell to ERHARDT PROJETOS, one of Brazil largest pro audio and video companies which specialises in project design, equipment distribution, digital automaton and integration services. Among the many projects ERHARDT PROJETOS has carried out in recent years are major infrastructure developments related to the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 and the World Cup in 2014, including the Maracanã, Dunas and Gremio Stadia and the Olympic Velodrome.
«The sound system we installed was designed to support the operation of the new Pier by allowing the dissemination of sound messages with a high degree of intelligibility. It covers various zones including domestic and international arrivals and departures, the document inspection area, Connectors between the new Pier and the old terminal, and complementary buildings. As well as generally assisting passengers and staff, a key requirement of the sound system was that it had to support the security and operation of the airport site, whether in normal operating situations or in case of emergency and evacuation of the complex».
José Roberto, ERHARDT Tech Director
The solution chosen involved over 250 loudspeakers, a power amplifier, an audio matrix, 14 units WORK PRO SPS 8 call stations and WORK PRO DM 115 call station microphones, all controlled over IP networks by an BLUELINE distributed audio system consisting of 45 units WORK PRO BLR 2 Lite MKII stereo over AoIP receivers and one BLS2 SD MKII stereo AoIP sender with a micro SD Player.
«BLULINE Digital system was chosen because it is cost effective, easy to design and very quick to install thanks to its user-friendly interface. It allows several channels of audio to be transmitted and controlled via Ethernet, with very low latency, and transmission can be a simple case of linking one point to another, or it can involve multiple points-or even a full multichannel system with control of alarm management” .
José Roberto, ERHARDT Tech Director
Alongside its general capabilities, there were some very specific reasons why WORK PRO BLUELINE Digital distributed audio system was ideal for the Salvador Bahia Airport project. These included:
- 100% IP-with long distances between the equipment racks and the Call Station user points, having a fully IP system was vital as it would have been very difficult to use an audio analogic solution.
- The modular nature of the system, which made it possible to acquire the exact number of units needed. This resulted in a more cost-effective solution for the customer because it was cheaper than acquiring a complete, all in one system where unused units went to waste.
- Having simple and intuitive software with system management meant integrators could customize their work environment.
- Having a PoE power supply for each module made the cable organization inside the rack cleaner and more organized and released the rack Power Strip doors.
GRUPO DISCABOS, distributor of WORK PRO in Brazil, provided ERHARDT PROJETOS with all the necessary support in all phases of the project.
«Working side by side with the manufacturer enables us to request customizations for our special projects. The BLUELINE Digital System installed at Salvador Bahia Airport has been working 24/7 with no failures since its implementation some months ago. The partnership we now have with WORK PRO means that we are very happy to recommend the company’s products and indeed we are now installing these in several other projects».
José Roberto, ERHARDT Tech Director
Located in Salvador, capital of Bahia and the first Brazilian capital, Salvador Bahia Airport has been part of the VINCI Airports network since January 2, 2018, through a 30-year Concession Contract. Since then, the airport has incorporated global operating standards, seeking to deliver more efficiency, safety, and a better travel experience for its passengers. With this objective, works were carried out to modernize and expand the passenger terminal, an investment of R$ 700 million that increased its capacity by 50%, from 10 million to 15 million passengers per year.
Named as the “Most Sustainable Aerodrome in Brazil”, Salvador Bahia Airport stands out for its pioneering spirit in environmental preservation actions. Guided by Air Pact, VINCI Airports’ global strategy, the airport was the first in Brazil to reuse 100% of the water consumed, not to dispense solid waste for landfills and to have a solar plant – with 4.2 MW of power. The airport’s actions to reduce carbon emissions led it to receive the Carbon Accreditation Certification (ACA Certification) by the International Airport Council (ACI).
