Kier JV starts Lakenheath tear down

Demolition work has started at RAF Lakenheath as part of a Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) project to prepare the base for the arrival of two squadrons of US F-35 combat aircraft.A total of 18 buildings are being brought down to make way for construction of a flight simulator facility, a maintenance unit, new hangars and storage facilities.DIO awarded a £160m contract in November 2018 to Kier VolkerFitzpatrick to deliver infrastructure to prepare RAF Lakenheath for the aircraft arriving in late 2021. The Suffolk airbase will be the first permanent international site for US Air Force F-35s in Europe and continues the base’s history of supporting US Air Force capability in the UK.Many of the old buildings were built with heavily reinforced concrete; demolition subcontractor Anglian Demolition & Asbestos has to use hydraulic excavators equipped with specialised attachments.Demolition work will make the site ready for the start of construction this summer. At the height of construction, it is expected that there will be up to 700 contractors on site.