Daltons Demolitions were appointed by Balfour Beatty to undertake the controlled demolition and site clearance of a former aircraft hangar and associated ancillary buildings, paving the way for the development of a new transport yard.
Situated immediately adjacent to the airside boundary of Edinburgh Airport, the site lay on the perimeter of the Restricted Zone and in close proximity to live operational areas, including runway approach and peripheral zones. Given the site’s sensitive location, stringent control measures were implemented to ensure that no debris or materials escaped the demolition footprint, thereby eliminating any potential risk of foreign object damage (FOD) to aircraft.
The principal structure comprised a 13-metre-high, 2,800m² steel portal-frame hangar, requiring a meticulously planned and sequenced dismantling approach. Comprehensive pre-demolition planning and proactive stakeholder engagement were fundamental to the project’s success. Daltons worked in close coordination with the airport’s health and safety teams, airside operations personnel, and the client’s representatives to ensure all activities were completed without disruption to the airport’s live operations.
The hangar was dismantled methodically, following a bay-by-bay, top-down sequence to maintain structural stability throughout. Demolished steel members were processed on site using hydraulic shears, reducing them to 5-foot by 2-foot sections to optimise handling, transport, and maximise scrap recovery value for the client.
In addition to the main hangar, demolition of ancillary single-storey brick buildings was undertaken within the site footprint. Approximately 8,000m² of concrete slab was broken out and crushed on site to a 6F5 specification, enabling the processed material to be reused in the construction of the new transport yard.
The project was completed safely, ahead of programme, and within budget — with zero incidents recorded throughout.
