LBA field backfilling complete

There are no more open trenches! The last work on the LBA trenches has now been completed and the cable graves have been completely backfilled and dressed in. This has been a huge effort and a dangerous one too. In particular, the maze-like LBA has been difficult to negotiate with the heavy machinery. Still, the crews have managed to get the job completed and work has been a success. Thanks goes to everyone who has participated in this major phase of the project.

The sub-contractors from Coral Constructors Ltd start backfilling the last stretch of LBA trenches.


The LBA field completely filled in (with the rest of LOFAR Chilbolton in the background).

Heroes of LOFAR Chilbolton

Have you ever noticed that in so many photographs of the site there is a digger, dump truck or mechanical roller in the background. Or even just someone with a shovel, slaving away at getting the job done while someone else poses for the photograph. These background workers are the sub-contractors and, without a doubt, they are the unsung heroes of the LOFAR Chilbolton project.

LOFAR-UK has been so lucky to have such a group of dedicated workers for whom nothing is too much to ask. They are there every day at the crack of dawn, have been accommodating at every turn, and have always been prepared to go that extra mile to get the job done. Furthermore, the quality of the work so far has been first class. Trenches have been spot on, placement has been exact and negotiating the complex field has never been an issue.

When all the work is done, the antennas are in place and the landscaping is all sorted, it will be easy to forget the hard work done in reaching that point. However for our radio telescope, every measurement, every observation and every scientific discovery will only have been possible because the trenches were right, the cables were safe and the fields were level.

Mark Andrews, John Murray and Martin Murphy of Coral Constructors Ltd. Well done lads. Keep up the good work!