DERBYSHIRE engineer is in charge of London's Olympic Stadium
Saturday, August 23, 2008, 07:30
AN engineer from Derbyshire has been put in charge of building the world's first "detachable" stadium for the 2012 Olympics.
Ian Crockford, who grew up in Belper, is project manager of London's main Olympic Games stadium and will be starting the early phases of its construction in the next few weeks.
The unique stadium, being built on industrial wasteland in east London, will seat 80,000 people when it is used as the centrepiece of the 2012 games.
But, in a worldwide engineering first, its roof and top tier of seating will be dismantled after the event, leaving a 25,000-seater venue.
Mr Crockford, who was project manager for the building of the London Eye, said he was thrilled to be part of such an innovative scheme that could see the 2012 Games topping Beijing's.
He said: "We will be doing things very differently. A major part of our Olympic Games bid was that we would be very considerate towards the environment.
"We are thinking about the future use of the stadium and what we do not want is to build an 80,000-seater venue that will just be left standing after 2012.
"But what we are desperate for is a 25,000-seater stadium for the public, so we are going to build that.
"The top tier of the stadium will be built from lightweight steel and bolted into place. Once the games are over, that tier will be removed and will leave a stadium that will be much more useful to the public."
The 43-year-old, who now lives in London with his wife and children, said the magnitude of the venture added an extra element of pressure.
He said: "Working on the design and building of this project is fantastic because having a stadium with 55,000 detachable seats has never been tried before. It is an extremely exciting project that is full of challenges for us."
Mr Crockford will also oversee the creation of a dedicated warm-up track where athletes can prepare for their events before being called into the stadium to compete.
It will form part of Stadium Island, a multi-million pound regeneration scheme for the area, aimed at transforming it into a hub of activity with the creation of a sprawling park and public sports facilities.
In May, foundations were laid for the Olympic Stadium and the construction of its lower tier will begin next month.
The upper tiers are expected to be installed by early 2009, with the entire project completed by 2011, when test events will take place ahead of the start of the games.
But former Long Row Primary School pupil Mr Crockford, who experienced strict deadlines during his work on the London Eye, said he is confident his team will finish the project on time.
He said: "Time is definitely our biggest challenge but we are already ahead of where we wanted to be."
Mr Crockford's parents, John and Mavis, said they were proud of their son's achievements.
Mr Crockford, of Oakhurst Close, Belper, said: "There is a tremendous amount of pressure on this project but one of Ian's greatest attributes is his ability to cope with it.
"Since his work on the London Eye, I have been collecting articles and documentaries about him and his work and we are extremely proud.
"It is a great achievement for him."
A spokesman for the Olympic Delivery Authority, which is in charge of the overall construction of London's stadia, said emphasis had been put on the environmental impact of the games.
He said: "Compared to the Beijing Olympic Games, ours will be a much lower cost and much more modest event.
"For the city, hosting the games will leave an enduring sporting, social and economic legacy."
He said London was poised to welcome the games in a way certain to inspire every athlete.
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