BAE Systems Assembly Hall

The project forms part of the transformation of the existing wet dock into a modern dry dock manufacturing facility, supporting the production of next-generation naval frigates.

The scope comprised the construction of substantial reinforced concrete ground slabs supported on precast concrete driven piles, including internal slabs up to 800mm thick and external slabs reaching 1,500mm in depth. Careys also delivered reinforced concrete walls up to 1,000mm thick and 10.6m high, suspended slab structures, quay-side drainage infrastructure, capping beams, pile plugs, and over 1.3km of below-slab and suspended services. Integrated throughout the works were hundreds of cast-in steel connections, crane rail fixings and embedded items essential to the operation of the facility.

The project's scale and complexity were significant, requiring more than 27,000m³ of concrete and almost 4,800 tonnes of reinforcement. Stringent tolerance requirements of ±2mm for cast-in plates and bolt sets demanded meticulous planning, rigorous quality controls and close coordination between all project stakeholders. Daily planning meetings, critical task reviews and carefully managed exclusion zones ensured safe and efficient delivery throughout.

Logistical challenges were compounded by the need to cut and process over 6,600 precast concrete and steel tube piles, utilising Motocut hydraulic technology for the first time on the project. Extensive training and site workshops enabled the team to adopt the new methodology successfully.

Working adjacent to the River Clyde introduced further complexities, with tidal fluctuations of up to five metres requiring carefully planned working windows. Through collaborative planning, robust safety management and innovative low-carbon concrete solutions developed as part of the ConcreteZero initiative, the project was delivered with zero lost-time incidents while reducing embodied carbon and maintaining the highest quality standards.