Important Design Considerations for Hangars – Part 2

We have discussed about the important facility space requirement considerations in the part 1 . In this article, we will discuss about other considerations that go into designing a hangar facility.

Hangar Doors

Among the most important elements of a hangar facility are the hangar doors. There are several types of hangar doors such as bi-folding, vertical lift, sliding, fabric, overhead, side-wall stacking, and several others. Each type has its own pros and cons depending on the type of aircrafts and maintenance activates. It is imperative that you carefully assess the operations of the hangar facility to determine the right type of hangar door.

Electrical System

The electrical system arrangements in the hangar space should meet the National Electric Code, represented by NFPA 70, in order to ensure the safety of the workers and engineers. According to the code, the electrical equipment should be NEMA Type 4 and waterproof. Since aircraft and ground support equipment work on a different range of frequencies and voltages as compared to public utilities, various frequencies and power supply voltage are required in the hangar space.

Fire Protection System

The hangar facility must be equipped with a reliable fire detection and protection system. Typically, the protection system used for hangars has Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) with water, which are used through floor mounted water cannons or overhead sprinkle system in case of a fire breakout. Moreover, the level of water pressure should be high enough to control the fire, and for that, the system may require booster pumps and a reservoir. To equip the hangar facility with a flawless fire protection system, make sure that it complies with NFPA 409, which is a standard established by the National Fire Protection Association.

Security

Top-notch security system is essential for hangars as the aviationindustry is quite susceptible to terrorist attacks due to its high profile nature. It is best that you follow the general security guidelines by the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA).

Sustainable Design

Since the hangar facility involves frequently in-and-out aircraft movements, the hangar is susceptible to huge heat loss. It is essential that sustainability measures are taken into consideration in order to ensure the building performs efficiently throughout its lifetime without wasting energy.

Technological Advancements

As the aircraft industry is continuously evolving and new technologies are being introduced, the hangar facility needs to be designed accordingly. The aircraft industry, nowadays, is functioning like a mainstream industrial facility, which is why remedial measures for toxic effluents, safer working standards for hazardous areas, and pollution permits are important to be included in the hangar facility design.

Important Design Considerations for Hangars – Part 1

Hangars have been an integral part of the aircraft industry since the dawn of aviation and flight. Over the years, the need for cutting edge facilities has made the designing of today’s hangars more complicated and expensive than ever before.  This is mainly due to the increased regulatory oversight, many technological advancements, and strict project schedule requirements.

A well-designed hangar has durability, versatility, low cost per square foot, all the essential supporting facilities, and the capacity to accommodate any aircraft. There are numerous considerations involved when mapping out the design of an aircraft hangar, and it is imperative that the designing team and the future owner of the hangar are on the same page from the very start.

Facility Space Requirements

There are typically 5 important areas in a hangar facility:

1.       Hangar/Aircraft Area

2.       Warehouse Area

3.       Building Utilities

4.       Administration/Office and Specialty Areas

5.       Shops Area

Following are the important considerations that should be made in order to seamlessly design a hangar facility.

The Aircraft Fleet

During the initial stage of designing, it is important to know about the aircraft fleet that will be maintained in the hangar. The type of aircraft and the number of aircraft of each type are some of the important considerations. Moreover, you should also consider the possibility of future aircraft that may be accommodated in the hangar.

The Hangar Space

For determining the hangar space, create different design layouts representing the floor plans and aircraft on the same scale. Now arrange those layouts in different combinations according to the flow of maintenance operations to make the most efficient use of the hangar space. Moreover, it is important that you consider the width and height of the hangar doors, tail heights, the movements of tow vehicles associated to aircraft maintenance, and the structural depth of trusses and columns.

Other important considerations include the minimum distances between two adjacent aircraft and the distance between the components of the hangar and the aircraft.

Warehouse and Maintenance Shops

The maintenance shops include air frame repair, aerospace systems repair, fabrication shops, cryogenics maintenance, battery servicing area, engine repair, non-destructive testing laboratory, and interior finishes repair areas. The warehouse is used for storing the equipment and spare parts required for performing these activities. The space allocation for both of these areas and their distance from the hangar needs careful consideration, as they can significantly affect the efficiency of the maintenance tasks.

Administration/Office Area

The Administration/Office area is an essential part of any hangar facility. According to general office building standards, about 175 to 250 sq. ft. of usable space should be allocated per person.

These are just the facility space requirements that need to be considered when designing a hangar facility. Other important design considerations are discussed in the 2^nd part of this article.

Important Characteristics of Aviation Floor Coatings

When considering a flooring solution for an aircraft hangar, it is imperative that you apply floor coating over the surface. It ensures that the floor withstands heavy wear and tear and resists the effects of chemicals and fuels that might degrade it over time. There are few options available for aviation floor coatings including epoxy or resinous, urethane and other customized coatings. Before you choose the coating for your aviation floor space, you should know about the main characteristics that should be present in a floor coating in order to make the right choice.

Abrasion Resistance

Having high wear and abrasion resistance properties are essential for aviation floor coatings, which prevent scrapes, bumps, and scratches caused by dragged tools, movement of heavy equipments, and dropped nuts and bolts.

Internal Coating Strength

Hangar flooring coatings must have high internal coating strength in order to enable the floor surface to withstand the weight of heavy aircrafts and point loads. It must have high flexibility and bonding strength to maintain the surface integrity even in extreme conditions.

Reflectivity

The level of light reflectivity of the surface is an important factor which aids in better illumination both underneath and above the aircraft. It also influences the energy costs in a way that it reduces the need for additional lighting. Moreover, the coating should improve the overall visibility inside the hangar, which will allow the workers to easily spot and clean foreign object debris that can otherwise prove to be harmful.

Maintenance and Cleaning

Since hangars are spread over a floor area ranging from 3,000 sq. ft. to more than 200,000 sq. ft., the floor coating should eliminate the need for regular maintenance and make the surface easy to clean.  

Chemical Resistance

The hangar flooring must be able to withstand both long and short term exposure to substances such as lubricants, corrosive clean-up liquids, fire resistant hydraulic fluids, special aviation fuels, and hot tires of aircrafts after landing. The floor coating must be able to prevent surface staining and deterioration.

Markings and Strips

Depending on the number of aircrafts the hangar can accommodate, its size, and the standards used at the facility, different striping and floor markings are applied on the floor to allocate areas and define boundaries. These markings and strips must be applied with the same floor coatings in order to leverage from the same high performance properties.

Advantages of Design-Build Hangar Projects

When constructing something as robust and large-scale as an aviation hangar, it is crucial to opt for the method that best conforms to the intended objectives. Aviation hangar projects need to be built with efficient engineering and architectural design practices. In the construction sector, the design-build method is well known for its wide range of benefits. The design approach entails that every aspect of the project, from design to execution, is carried out by a single team of contractors as opposed to subcontracting to multiple entities. This approach has a range of benefits; these are as follows.

Faster project completion time

Hangar projects that are given to a single contractor can result in a substantial reduction in delays that occur when multiple entities oversee a project. This is because a single entity is free from many communication lags that are often present when separate teams of builders, engineers, technicians come together. It can take a considerable amount of time in understanding the overall layout and specifications and to ensure that all materials and production goes according to plan.

Greater quality

When one entity is involved, the project has a higher chance of being completed according to the right specification and layout. This is because a project as complex as an aviation hangar consists of multiple interconnecting activities and tasks, which can be difficult to execute if they are dependent on a separate team. A design-build approach ensures everyone is on the same page when it comes to building the hangar.

Furthermore, a single entity usually has greater expertise in overseeing all areas of the project, resulting in greater quality and precision. They are more than likely to have expert knowledge on how buildings should be sequenced on top of another and ensuring it has sufficient weight to support aircrafts.

Single source o f accountability

The design-build approach also has the advantage of giving greater transparency and accountability in understanding project mishaps or successes. When multiple contractors are involved, it distorts the feedback process and makes it difficult to single out one particular team for their contribution. The single entity can give a better estimate of the price and cost of the project as they will be in charge of managing both design and execution. All costs from utilities, construction, and landscape allowances are considered well before construction takes place which helps avoid any instances of redesign and renovation.