A Great Project For A High Flying Principal Designer
Opened in December 1942 and situated approximately 20 miles west of Cambridge, Little Staughton Airfield is a former Royal Air Force station, now used primarily in the agriculture sector.
Recently, Huntingdon District Council gave the go-ahead for the development of a new £1.4m aircraft hangar constructed using a lattice structure, cold rolled steel frame, and incorporating 30 x 6m 10 panel sliding main doors. The structure also includes reception area, offices, crew room and car parking.
The cold rolled frame method of construction was used for speed of erection and cost savings. Composite panels were built on site to reduce the lead-in period for receiving the materials.
The 28,299 sq ft hanger will be used for maintenance and repairs, providing vital support services for aviation across the region.
The Role of a Principal Designer
Clients of projects like the one at Little Staughton Airfield often need the services of a principal designer to comply with their duties under The Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015).
A principal designer can be an organisation or individual and will be appointed to lead planning, managing, monitoring, and coordinating health and safety during the design and planning stage of a project. With responsibilities for the pre-construction design phase, principal designers have the relevant knowledge, skills, and experience and competence to allow a project to develop safely.
As stated in the regulations it is important for a principal designer to be involved in a project from the start because they influence how the risks to health and safety should be managed and how they should be incorporated into the wider project. The pre-construction phase of a project is critical, as decisions taken at this time will affect how a project is delivered, and operated / maintained safely. The principal designer works closely with the client and principal contractor and will co-ordinate the work of designers to ensure that risks are identified and managed during the design process.
A Principal Designer
Alan Wood & Partners carries out the role of Principal Designer under the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015. Clients have a legal duty on most construction projects to appoint a Principal Designer. As Principal Designer Alan Wood make sure that all relevant regulations are satisfied. They have a number of staff who are able to demonstrate capability and competence through being registered members of the Association for Project Safety and other professional bodies
Alan Wood also provide CDM advisory services to clients, and other designers to enable them to fulfil their obligations under the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015.
