Test run for Falklands sees skills transferred for permanent building, reports James Kenny.
The Royal Engineers (RE) have completed a milestone on a project that is expected to herald a whole new direction for the military and its construction practices.
The RE completed work on a test project in Wainscott, Kent, in October that is part of a larger overseas construction project in the Falkland Islands and is the first time the military has taken on a full design and build project from start to finish outside a conflict zone.
So-called project ANEMOI involves the building of permanent single-storey accommodation for the next 30 years in the Falklands. It is being built in four phases over three years and will involve many of the Engineer Brigade units.
This test project was built in Kent to help upskill military workers in new areas of construction and to also test out the conditions of building in the harsh Falklands environment. The foundations were over-engineered to counterweight the building and subject the workers to different conditions.
A test of military capability
Project ANEMOI is an £18m project involving building of permanent single-storey accommodation for 30 years in the Falklands. They are 50x20m single-storey buildings including accommodation, welfare, kitchens, gym, office space and temporary dorms for training personnel.
The building is not only on top of mountain, but has to be undetectable by radar and also be functional all year round. There are also issues to deal with such as geology and drainage.
It is a saving of £10m to the MOD as the project was initially costed for tender to civil industry at £28m.
The smaller test project has been built in Wainscott, Kent, and cost approximately £500,000. It is 20x10m and does not include the internal fit out. Training is being conducted in Kinloss in Scotland.
The project is being supported by a number of construction companies to help meet the requirements, including: Brown & Mason, Bowmer & Kirkland, Ramboll, WYG, British Gypsum, Reid Steel
Peter Egan ICOB, site engineer in the Royal Engineers, said: “This is the first time the MOD has done this type of thing. Normally when the military do construction we design, but the build element is always subcontracted out.
“Normally we work in operational infrastructure in a wartime enviornment. When we came out of Afghanistan we didn’t honestly think we would be very busy so we decided to take on an opportunity which would normally be given to a civilian contractor. We convinced the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) that we could carry it out, a commercial style contract, and maintain equivalent standards to that of a contractor.
“But more importantly it gives RE personnel a chance to work in a different environments and upskill in areas of construction that they have not needed in 15 years.”
Egan added that it would still have to be reviewed upon final completion but he expects that once the full project is finished it will drive military construction in a whole new phase.
It also marks a new direction for the military in that it will be the first project that will be carbon neutral.
“The aim is to continue this in the future, it’s basically a whole new area for the construction element of the military and the way they wish to go. It will help reclaim skills as well as use technologies such as BIM that we haven’t used.”
Another area that makes the project unique is the logistics of moving all the materials from the UK to mountain tops in the Falklands and the MOD/civil training partnering, which has taken place to train military engineers to the required standard to conduct the works and gain the skill set to conduct this level of project in the future.
The REs who worked on the test project are now expected to deploy back out to the Falklands in October to complete work on the overall structure.
Work is expected to be finished in 2018 and is being done in four phases. Phase 1 and 2 are complete and following deployment in October the RE will begin on phase 3 in March, internal fit out. Phase 4 is the removing of the existing condition and some environmental issues.
As an ex RE this is about time. We tried explaining this approach to people when the PSA was formed but it fell on deaf ears. Ubique
I led a STRE in 2004 to deliver D&B for two helicopter refuelling sites at Hill Cove and Fox Bay, this was also on behalf of DE (at the time). Sanctioned and funded by Sutton Coldfield. Designed by 170 (Infra Sp) Engr Gp, 516/517 STRE (BP) with additional sp from other STREs in Chilwell and subsequently constructed by 516/517 STRE and 10 Fd Sqn (Air Sp) 39 Engr Regt.
Other than probably RE (Royal Engineers) & PSA (Property Services Agency), I haven’t a clue what all the other abreviations are.
Well done the Corps, good to see this happening again outside of Afgan
Great news that the Sappers can run their own show “again” after so long, now all that is needed is for the powers that be to reinstate the legendary Apprentice schools those institutions produced far more competant tradesmen than any civilian organization.
Great news, way back in 1983, Sappers built the radar complex on Mount Kent. Glad to see Sappers doing what they do best ! Ubique
This is not the first time that Royal Engineers have been doing Design and Build for the MOD, we have been doing it for all of our history, in operations and in peace.
You may find that this is Peter Egan’s first major Design and Build task, it certainly isn’t the Corps.
Mr Egan is also incorrect in stating that the Royal Engineers have always subcontracted out the construction element. We would look at the full range of options for deliver and that could be via a military construction force (a Royal Engineer unit) or through a Civilian Contractor.
I would also disagree that the Sappers have not been using their trade and construction skills for the last 15 years, there has been a lot of construction delivered by the Royal Engineers over the that period both at home and on operations.