Case Study
NATS radar tower
Category
Civil Engineering
Conditions
Mild
Location
Belfast International Airport
Ancore was appointed by Ballast Nedam to deliver the construction of a new NATS (National Air Traffic Services) radar tower at Belfast International Airport - a critical piece of infrastructure essential to the safe operation of national airspace.
The project began with the careful removal of the existing redundant legacy tower, followed by full site clearance to allow construction works to commence. Ancore then delivered the complete civil scope, including drainage installation, service infrastructure, and the construction of the reinforced concrete radar tower and operational cabin.
Programme certainty was paramount. The airport was operating under temporary radar cover, and returning to the national radar system as quickly as possible was critical to maintaining uninterrupted air traffic operations. With no margin for delay, Ancore strategically labour-loaded the project, coordinating resources to maintain momentum and eliminate risk to the programme.
A key milestone was the construction of the tower base, which required 310m³ of concrete placed in a single continuous pour to ensure structural integrity and performance. Careful planning, sequencing, and quality control were essential to achieving this safely and successfully within a live airport environment.
Favourable weather conditions throughout the project supported uninterrupted progress, enabling the works to be completed ahead of schedule. The client expressed a high level of satisfaction with both delivery and handover, recognising Ancore’s ability to perform under pressure and deliver critical infrastructure safely, efficiently, and to exacting standards.
