A NEW landmark has literally arisen from thin air on the Port of Tilbury dockside.

The dome shaped structure is part of an innovative construction from building materials experts Aggregate Industries, which has overseen the inflation of the dome silo airform that sits within its  new multi-million-pound cement import, manufacturing and distribution facility.

The dome silo is one of only a handful of its kind in the UK, built using innovative construction methods and materials.

The 45m tall, 32m diameter dome is designed to store up to 30,000 tonnes of cement to support local demand for building materials, to be used across an array of construction projects in the region. Once operational in 2026, this facility will allow Aggregate Industries to serve its customers 24/7 with conventional, low carbon and circular cementitious materials from five loading heads.

During construction, over 25,000 tonnes of concrete from the existing site has already been recycled and reused, and over 10,000 tonnes of recycled asphalt planings have been incorporated into new asphalt products.

Aggregate Industries is also incorporating lower carbon materials throughout every aspect of construction; including use of the firm's own green-building solution, ECOPact readymix.

The company says: "Local stakeholders and businesses are already seeing potential economic benefits, as the project is expected to stimulate demand for trades and materials in the region. More than 100 jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase of the scheme, with a further 30 full time permanent positions generated once the site is operational.

"Aggregate Industries' substantial investment in Tilbury underscores the area's growing significance as a centre for innovation and reflects Aggregate Industries' proactive commitment to embrace new innovative technologies."

Tim Fry, Project Manager at Aggregate Industries, is responsible for overseeing engineering and construction of the new facility.

He says: "With this project, Tilbury joins a small number of pioneering locations in the UK with access to the latest advancements in dome silo technology. Once operational, the facility will support both local and regional demand for conventional, low carbon and circular cementitious construction materials."

US-based company, Dome Technology worked in partnership with the Aggregate Industries team to inflate the dome.

CEO, Bradley Bateman, says, "Dome Technology and Aggregate industries worked closely together to develop the most efficient and economical solution for this project, relying on the many decades of industry experience and innovation from both teams.

"When completed this facility will be state of the art and the result of the teams' collaborative dynamic ability to innovate and find solutions."