Demolition work has commenced at RAF Lakenheath to ready the site for new US aircrafts in late 2021.

A total of 18 buildings are being destroyed and replaced with a flight simulator facility, a maintenance unit, new hangars and storage facilities.

Kier VolkerFitzpatrick will deliver the new state-of-the-art facilities under a £160 million contract, making the RAF Lakenheath the first permanent international site for US Air Force F-35s in Europe.

Contractors are using a hydraulic excavator equipped with specialised attachments that can break concrete and steel, due to the buildings' heavily reinforced concrete structures.

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Waste materials will be recycled wherever possible. Timber and metal will be carefully preserved for re-use if appropriate. The concrete waste will be crushed, graded and re-used on the project.

The metal reinforcements in the buildings will be separated from the concrete and sent away to be recycled, possibly returning to site or to another construction project as reinforcement or structural steelwork.

James Hindes, managing director of Aviation and Defence at Kier, commented: "The start of demolition is a major milestone at RAF Lakenheath. These works are vital in allowing us to prepare the site for construction on this prestigious Defence project from this summer.

"This is a crucial piece of infrastructure for the RAF and US Air Force, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the DIO and our local supply chain to deliver this."

Construction is expected to begin on the new facilities in summer 2019 ahead of the first aircraft arrival in 2021.

(CM)