Rights Managed > Historic England > Industry > Engineering and Construction > Building airports and airfields
Shaft for column foundations JLP01_08_083513
Filename: jlp01_08_083513.jpg
Size: 5256 x 5312 (4.7MB)
Date: 15th February 2022
Source: Historic England
Credit: A© Historic England Archive. Joh
Copyright Status: Copyrighted Work
Source: Historic England Archive
Owner URL: https://images.historicenglandservices.org.uk/
© Historic England Archive
Wall Art and Photo Gifts from Historic England
Shaft for column foundations JLP01_08_083513
HEATHROW AIRPORT, B E A SERVICING HANGAR, HEATHROW, HILLINGDON, GREATER LONDON. A man looking upwards in a 75ft shaft lined with reinforcement steel, part of the foundations of the BEA aircraft servicing hangar at Heathrow Airport.
In October 1969 Laing announced that its Industrial Engineering Branch had been awarded a contract for construction of an aircraft servicing hangar for British European Airways at Heathrow Airport. It was the companys second major contract at Heathrow, following the completion of the BEA and BOAC cargo terminal. The hangar was designed to accommodate new airbus jets and existing aircraft. Four 75ft shafts were sunk for the foundations. The excavation of each shaft began with an in situ concrete ring beam near ground level. Rings of a caisson, which formed the upper half of each shaft, were then sunk through 30ft of clay. Men worked at the bottom of the shaft to excavate the remaining 45ft, and fixed precast segmental concrete rings to the structure as the shaft descended. Construction of the shafts began in October 1969, and when completed they were filled with concrete in two stages: the lower sections were filled with 250 cubic yards of concrete in a continuous pour on 27th February 1970, and the upper sections were filled after a column was positioned in each shaft. This photograph was published in the April 1970 edition of Team Spirit, the Laing employee newsletter
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Media ID 24354159
© Historic England Archive
1970s Construction Hangar People Tunnel Underground Work Deep Foundations
EDITORS COMMENTS
This print captures a significant moment in the construction of the British European Airways (BEA) aircraft servicing hangar at Heathrow Airport. The image showcases a man looking upwards in awe as he stands within a 75ft shaft lined with reinforcement steel, which forms part of the hangar's foundations. In October 1969, Laing's Industrial Engineering Branch proudly announced their contract for this remarkable project. As BEA aimed to accommodate both new airbus jets and existing aircraft, four massive shafts were sunk for the foundations. The excavation process involved sinking caisson rings through clay until reaching a depth of 30ft. Skilled workers then descended into each shaft to excavate an additional 45ft while simultaneously fixing precast segmental concrete rings. The construction of these impressive shafts commenced in October 1969 and reached completion after being filled with concrete in two stages: first, on February 27th, 1970, when the lower sections were poured with an astonishing amount of 250 cubic yards of concrete; secondly, once columns were positioned within each shaft, allowing for filling up to the upper sections. Published in April 1970 by Team Spirit - Laing's employee newsletter - this photograph from Historic England Archive beautifully encapsulates both the magnitude and precision required during this groundbreaking construction endeavor at Heathrow Airport.
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