Heathrow’s £16bn expansion and offsite construction: Probing its industry-transforming claims

Heathrow Airport is now taxying toward its long-awaited multi-billion-pound expansion, of which a third runway is just a part. As a capital project it will be one of the UK’s biggest, in a league with Hinkley Point C, when work commences in 2020 or 2021. More than that, Heathrow claims the project could transform the entire UK construction industry by entrenching offsite manufacturing as its modus operandi. The complex logistics involved will be handled by four “regional offsite hubs” located around the UK, even as far away as Scotland. Contractors won’t be contractors, but “delivery integrators”. Not only will this expand Heathrow faster and more cheaply, the airport claims, but it will boost productivity and economic growth around the country as well, to the tune of billions of pounds. CRI interviewed Heathrow expansion programme director Phil Wilbraham and others to see if the industry is ready for this, how it might all come together, and to put some of the claims to the test.