London City Airport

The upgrade includes eight new aircraft stands, a parallel taxiway to maximise runway capacity and an extension to the terminal. To create the land required for these additions, the airport is constructing a concrete deck above King George V Dock.

As part of the regeneration works Careys was awarded an enabling works package next to the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station in the Western Service Yard. We were contracted direct to LCY with Bechtel as the Construction Manager. Our works were primarily to facilitate the construction of temporary facilities in support of the new terminal.

Careys was responsible for bringing utilities and services into the new ‘goodsin’ area: we reconfigured and installed the new foul water systems, high and low voltage cabling, storm-water drainage systems, potable water, and telecoms ducting. As part of the utilities and drainage works, we had to reconfigure a section of the existing earthing pits for DLR underneath the raised City Airport station platform. We worked closely with UKPN and Thames Water, delivering all this in-house. On completion of the project, all utilities were then adopted by these incumbent asset owners.

We designed and constructed the foundations for the goods-in facility and the temporary immigration facility, which included piling and the construction of associated pile caps and beams. We also realigned the existing crash barrier and planter to widen the entrance to the yard and we installed a new permanent security fence (SR2 type fencing) underneath the DLR viaduct.

Work was not permitted within five metres of DLR’s structure and the layout of the site meant that we needed DLR approval before we could start most activities. We were in constant liaison with various asset owners, including London City Airport and DLR, to ensure that our works were designed, planned and constructed according to their requirements.