The 33,000 m2 strategic facility – part of an extensive upgrade at RAF Lossiemouth to futureproof the airbase – includes a three-bay aircraft hangar for the Poseidon, crew and maintainer training facilities, flight planning facilities and workshop areas for up to 600 personnel, and squadron accommodation.
The project team were on the ground at RAF Lossiemouth from April 2018, following a 12-month collaboration with Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) during preconstruction to design the state-of-the-art facility.
Elliot Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, Robertson Group said:
"Robertson is no stranger to delivering projects of this magnitude and complexity, but we’re especially proud of the RAF Lossiemouth strategic facility, which further underpins our capability in the defence sector. Not only was it an opportunity for us to collaborate closely with Boeing and provide unrivalled local expertise and knowledge, but it further illustrates how our delivery teams find solutions to the many challenges that are set through the design process to meet exacting and specific requirements."
As a quick reaction alert site for the north of the UK, the airbase was fully operational throughout construction and the team showed exceptional project and safety management to comply with RAF restrictions as well as our own processes. During enabling works and construction, our ongoing communication with multiple and often competing stakeholders ensured programme efficiency as the RAF continued its activities.
To give some idea of the scale of the project, up to 280 double-decker buses could park in the new building. On completion, RAF Lossiemouth will be the only airbase with an infrastructure similar to Jacksonville in Florida, the third-largest naval air station in the United States.
Key facts
- 250,000 tonnes of materials excavated and retained on-site to form weather protection and visual barriers.
- 1 million+ man hours worked.
- Awarded Sustainability ‘Excellence’, the MoD equivalent of a BREEAM rating.
- 600 new jobs will be created at RAF Lossiemouth.
Structure overview
- 19 metres high x 165 metres long x 100 metres wide.
- 250,000 tonnes of materials excavated and retained on-site to form weather protection and visual barriers to the strategic facility.
- 7,000 m of driven precast piles.
- 2,500 tonnes structural steel frame.
- 40,000 m3 (100,000 tonnes) of concrete, batched on-site.
- 25,000 m2 of cladding.
Community focus
- 20+ local sub-contractors from Moray region working with us.
- 25 full-time Robertson jobs created.
- 23 apprenticeships in partnership with our supply chain.
- 11 Robertson graduate apprentices taking part in traineeships
- 10 work placements for local schools and colleges
- 2,000+ local school pupils and college students engaging with our community activities.
