Heartbeat shelters for the UK Immigration Service
Tully De'Ath Consultants provided Structural Design Consultancy services (RIBA work stages A to C – Feasibility) for the NDTIP (New Detection Technology Implementation Project) - Heartbeat Shelters for the UK Immigration Service.
'...shelters were required to provide a stable, vibration free environment for the scanners and be airtight.'
Located in the ports of Dieppe, Le Havre and Cherbourg these new structures house 'Heartbeat Detectors' used to scan vehicles for signs of unauthorised occupants. The shelters themselves were steel framed with rapid acting vehicle entry doors to allow an efficient turnover of vehicles.
The shelters were required to provide a stable, vibration free environment for the scanners and be airtight. The construction had to minimise disruption to the port authority and the design had to allow for the building to be easily demounted for redevelopment or expansion.