OCL Regeneration runway-to-homes project: materials and design notes for engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
Holcim UK subsidiary OCL Regeneration is dismantling the 250mm-thick concrete runway at Ford Airfield, West Sussex, and reprocessing it on-site for roads and foundations in Vistry’s 1,500-home Fordham development. A 6,000m² compound has already been stabilised in situ and surfaced using milled runway concrete mixed with cement and water to form Cement Bound Granular Material, supporting mobile plant and stockpiles. Subsequent phases will involve specialist treatment of hazardous asphalt base layers and production of Type 1 recycled aggregate and capping for the main spine road.
Technical Brief
- Hazardous asphalt base beneath the 250mm concrete slab must be treated to Environment Agency standards before reuse.
- OCL is contracted to process all site-won materials into compliant foundation and paving products.
- In-situ ground stabilisation was used to form the 6,000m² compound platform before heavy plant mobilisation.
- Runway removal uses milling and planing, enabling controlled segregation of concrete and contaminated asphalt layers.
- CBGM production on-site reduces imported aggregate and truck movements, lowering traffic interface and haulage risk.
- Full remediation in the next phase will be managed within the secure compound, containing hazardous material handling.
- Type 1 recycled aggregate and capping will be produced under controlled conditions to meet highway foundation specifications.
- Project illustrates how on-site recycling plus regulated hazardous-waste treatment can de-risk brownfield airfield-to-residential conversions.
Our Take
Holcim UK’s role alongside OCL Regeneration at Ford Airfield lines up with its recent push into recycling and secondary aggregates in the UK, as seen in our coverage of its acquisition of PJ Thory and the creation of a dedicated recycling leadership post.
Repurposing a 250 mm-thick concrete runway at Ford Airfield into housing material gives Holcim UK a practical demonstration site for low‑carbon, circular aggregates, complementing its London Luton Airport resurfacing supply chain where primary aggregates still dominate.
Within our 847 Infrastructure stories, Holcim UK appears frequently in sustainability‑tagged pieces, and the Fordham project in West Sussex reinforces its positioning as a reference operator for circular construction in northern Europe rather than just a conventional cement and aggregates supplier.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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