Atomic weapons award

04 January 2012

NG Bailey has been awarded a contract with the Ministry of Defence, to provide mechanical and electrical (M&E) services to the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Burghfield, in Berkshire.

The company’s specialist Engineering division is providing a multi-discipline, integrated M&E installation to two main buildings and a number of smaller support buildings all within a highly secure environment. The largest of these buildings accounts for 80 per cent of the project value and comprises a very substantial re-enforced cellular concrete structure of 3.5 acres plan area, built with 65,000m3 of concrete and thousands of tonnes of steel.

The whole facility will be protected by a network of 38m tall catenary towers and interlaced lightning conductors. The second largest of the buildings includes an energy centre. This building will be completed earlier than the rest of the project and will then be maintained operational under an agreement with the facilities services company pending completion of and integration with the rest of the project.

Working to exacting nuclear licensing standards, NG Bailey will also utilise a significant proportion of prefabricated materials including a packaged plantroom supplied by the company’s Offsite Manufacture division and extensive large bore heavy weight steel pipework.

NG Bailey will play the leading role in the co-ordination of all services throughout the project’s buildings employing a comprehensive 3D model to support this process. All parties throughout the construction team will feed into this and use it for their own spatial needs.