Construction of new lifeboat station begins
Construction of a new Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) at The Lizard in Cornwall has begun.
The new building is being constructed using glued laminated timber, with proprietary cladding and a copper roofing system. The roof will be supported by a reinforced concrete slab founded on the existing station buttress.
The station is being built on the same site as a former lifeboat house that was constructed during the 1960s. The new building will reuse the old substructure that was put in place for the previous lifeboat station.
One advantage of this is that the current construction work has limited the amount of impact on cliffs and foreshore. Construction of the new centre has given a boost to engineering recruitment in the local area, providing much-needed job opportunities. A replacement cliff railway, which will improve access to the lifeboat station from the cliff top has also been designed.
RNLI head of estates management, Howard Richings told the New Civil Engineer: "This build has been a long time in the planning and it is fair to say this will be a demanding site to work on. Any building with its feet in the sea and the rest exposed to the forces of wind and wave is going to be a challenge to construct but it will be a vital investment for the future of the RNLI on The Lizard.
"In engineering terms this will be a fascinating project and we will be including within this build some exciting alternative energy generation systems."
Work is expected to be completed in autumn 2011 and The Lizard's new lifeboat station will host the charity's Tamar Class high speed all weather lifeboat which will provide vital sea rescue services off the Cornish coast.
Author: Hannah McLaverty-Williamson
Keywords: Engineering Recruitment