Teesside steel is about to be used in one of Britain's biggest construction projects.

Corus has been appointed metals solutions partner by BAA, owner of Heathrow Airport, for work on Terminal 5 at the world's busiest airport.

The company has already advised on the use of metal in almost every aspect of the project, including the foundations, structure, roof, glazing and internal fit-out.

Corus engineers based at Scunthorpe will be designing, manufacturing and installing the terminal's lift shafts. Steel for the roof and superstructure is being supplied from the company's Teesside and Scunthorpe sites for fabrication by Severfield-Rowen, based in Dalton, North Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, the company's process engineering team in Cumbria has supplied the first of 44 nodes for the roof structure. Each node weighs 60 tonnes and will support a Corus Kalzip metal roof system coming from Haydock, Lancashire.

Mark Walton, business development manager at Corus Construction, said: "In May 2001, BAA invited Corus to work on the Terminal 5 project. Since this time, we have worked closely with architects, structural engineers and suppliers to develop the landmark structure BAA was looking for.

"Our approach to managing the supply chain and the use of our technical expertise have proved invaluable in the delivery of this prestigious project.

"We have been supporting BAA's target of manufacturing more than 70 per cent of the project off-site and have jointly been investigating how to consolidate deliveries by rail to reduce energy use and cut road congestion."

When Terminal 5 opens in 2008, it will be Europe's biggest single-span building. Within the 156-metre span there will be a free-standing, four-storey building housing British Airways staff.