Aggregate Industries supplying concrete to BAE Systems’ expansion of shipyard

Winning contracts to supply concrete to two key projects in BAE Systems’ expansion of its shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness is leading construction materials producer and supplier, Aggregate Industries.

South Cumbria is seeing one of the biggest infrastructure development projects since Victorian times, thanks to BAE Systems upgrading its shipyard so it can build the Royal Navy’s next generation of submarines.

Civil facilities, large engineering workshops, marine installations and a range of other buildings within the nuclear-licensed site make up the project. Therefore, over the next five to seven years, encompassing 32 individual projects in all, the project will amount to over £300 million worth of projects.

Two of the largest projects include The extension of Devonshire Dock Hall (DDH) at 269 metres long, 58 metres wide and 51 metres high – making it the second-largest indoor shipbuilding facility in Europe. It will accommodate a state-of-the-art manufacturing and installation works.

On land opposite the main shipyard gate in Bridge Road, the Central Yard Complex is the second project which will be two-thirds the size of the DDH. An order has been secured with Morgan Sindall for Aggregate Industries for the construction of the Central Yard Complex, which will require about 20,000m³ of ready-mixed concrete.

At the Port of Barrow on the dock owned by Associated British Ports (ABP), Aggregate Inudstries has built a dedicated semi-mobile concrete plant to complete the order, and can produce 80m³ of concrete per hour. From its existing concrete plant in Barrow, Aggregate Industries had already been supplying concrete to the site, which will continue to supply the local market and will provide backup support to the new concrete plant based at the port.

The Strategic Bulk Store will also be supplied over 16,000m³ by the existing plant, for which Aggregate Industries has partnered up with Wates Construction. The 28,000m³ strategic bulk store is located just outside the main shipyard and will be a key logistical facility distributing materials to and from the main manufacturing hub.

Business Development Manager for the Readymix Division, David Porter, stated that the location and semi-mobile plant have helped to secure the contracts and reduce impact on the environment and alleviate congestion on the roads. 

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