Holcim UK has supplied bespoke concrete mixes for the £10 million redevelopment of Heysham Port in Lancashire, supporting a major infrastructure project designed to increase capacity at one of the North West’s busiest transport hubs.
Owned and operated by Peel Ports Group, Heysham Port provides critical freight and passenger connections between mainland UK, the Isle of Man, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The redevelopment, delivered by Kiernan Construction, included a revamped trailer park, an upgraded entrance and a new multi-smart gate operating system to help accommodate growing traffic volumes.
Holcim UK was selected to provide high-performance concrete capable of withstanding the heavy loading demands created by the hundreds of heavy goods vehicles that move through the port each day. Between April 2025 and May 2026, the company supplied bespoke concrete mixes from its Lancaster ready-mix plant to meet the project’s varied performance requirements.
The supply package included conventional CEM I concrete for general fill alongside Holcim UK’s Strike early-strength concrete, which reaches trackable strength within 24 to 48 hours, allowing construction activities to progress significantly faster than conventional concrete.
For heavily trafficked areas, Holcim UK worked with Fibre Concrete Solutions to develop a steel fibre-reinforced mix containing between 20kg and 30kg of steel fibres per cubic metre. The solution delivered the required strength and durability while reducing the need for extensive steel mesh reinforcement.
According to Holcim UK, the project required consistent, high-volume concrete deliveries despite challenging weather conditions during late 2025. The company completed more than 30 deliveries while maintaining product consistency and using its Holcim+ digital platform to provide real-time delivery tracking and ordering updates, helping keep the construction programme on schedule.
Kiernan Construction construction director Martyn O’Malley said the quality and reliability of Holcim UK’s concrete supply played a key role in the project’s success, adding that the consistency of the mixes and dependable deliveries from the Lancaster plant helped maintain progress despite challenging site conditions.
“The supply of the Strike 5.0 concrete with steel fibres and all other mixes was excellent throughout. The consistency of the mix, combined with the reliability of deliveries from the
Lancaster plant played a key role in keeping the programme on track despite the challenging conditions and tight timeframes,” he said.
“The fibre mix, especially, performed exactly as required, providing the strength and durability needed for such a heavily trafficked environment, and significantly improved efficiency on site.
“In addition, the service from the Holcim team has been fantastic, from mix design through to delivery coordination.”
