Morrison Construction wins £22m contract to build British Antarctic Survey research station

Morrison Construction, part of the Galliford Try group, has been awarded a £22m contract to manage the design and construction of the Halley VI research station in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey.

Construction will take place over the next three austral summers, starting in November 2007 and completing in 2010. The designers are Faber Maunsell and Hugh Broughton Architects.

The structure will consist of two platforms comprising seven interconnected single-storey modules and one double-storey module, which are raised on hydraulically jackable legs supported on skies. The northern module comprises the living quarters and the southern will be used for scientific activities.

The modules will be formed from lightweight structural steel frames. The outer shell will be clad with highly insulated prefabricated GRP sandwich panels. Plant will be housed separately in two energy modules at the ends of the chain.

"Putting the building on hydraulic legs and skis means that it can be relocated relatively easily and prevented from being buried in snow," said John Hammerton, international operations manager for Morrison Construction. "This is an innovative change to previous designs and will prolong the life of the station unlike its predecessors."