Tag Archives: hangar

REIDsteel Out and About in Bournemouth

Working with Civils Contracting Limited, this extension to the existing Hangar 12 at Bournemouth Airport has a clear span of 100m, is 12m deep and 22m high to the eaves. The Main Contractor’s work started on this project in the summer of 2013 and we commenced assembly of the main truss at the beginning of October 2013.

Being a very unusual and local job, it was decided to install a timelapse camera in order to record progress, managed between bouts of the windiest weather experienced since 1987.

This camera takes a photo every 10 seconds and these can then be played back in sequence and roll like a film. The effect is that we can see the action of many days taking place at a super quick pace. Within the space of a couple of minutes, the whole front arch of the hangar appears before your eyes.

With 80% of our work destined for overseas markets it is unusual to have such a project on our doorstep and all REIDsteel staff from the office and works were given the opportunity to visit when the truss had been pre-assembled at ground level, in preparation of the big lift. The chance to get up close and personal with a steel structure doesn’t come along often and gave the staff a taste of what our site teams can achieve with the materials designed, drawn and manufactured at our Christchurch facility.

Once the pre-assembly work had been carried out, it was then time for the 140T truss to be lifted into position, using a 500T and a 1000T crane. Due to the ever-changing weather, the procedure, originally being delayed by two weeks, was then brought forward 24 hours to take advantage of a perfectly still day. With the help of our suppliers, Civils and Bournemouth International Airport, we were given the green light to go ahead with the lift, which was witnessed by the Designer, Richard Callaghan and Draughtsman, Steve Roberts.

Richard Callaghan was on site the day the main lift occurred. He said of his visit to site:
“All personnel were on site early and ready to lift the frame as soon as the light permitted. The complex nature of a lift of this magnitude merited the earliest start possible due to the hire cost of the large cranes which were required for the 140 tonne load.

On the ground, the custom made lifting equipment looked unusually large; but once it was attached to the frame, it looked much smaller. Nevertheless, it was too late for second guessing; the calculations had been checked and re-checked, and, in theory, all was in order.

Not Richard Callaghan's Day Job!

When the frame was lifted off the trestles and the lifting gear looked solid, I could relax a little. As time went on, and the truss was slowly lifted into place, it was only connecting the frame to the columns which remained a concern. As expected, bolting the frame into place proved a long and laborious process. However, thanks to the hard work and level heads of our team of erectors, the connections were completed.

Once the cranes had started their dismantling process, our team of erectors could enjoy a well-earned breakfast sometime in the middle of the afternoon.

All in all, the day proved to be a success. The lift started promptly, the weather remained calm, the truss was lifted into place safely, the difficult connections were overcome, the client’s representative appeared to be happy and I had a very tasty lunch in the flying club café. However, my overriding memory of the day is that I wish I had worn two pairs of socks!”

Aircraft Hangar for Eznis Airways, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Eznis-news01In early 2011 we were successful in being awarded a contract to design and supply an Aircraft Hangar for Eznis Airways.

This hangar was required to house their fleet comprising of four Saab 340B aircraft and two Avro RJ85 aircraft, which serve their expanding domestic flights service operating from the Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar.

The project required the design and fabrication of a 50m clear span Hangar together with a two storey office, workshop and stores facility on either side of the Hangar and across the rear elevation.

Eznis-news02In addition, we supplied the Eznis Company Logo which sits proudly on both gable peaks of the Hangar and we also produced a separate pair of sliding doors which can be opened to allow the nose of an Avro RJ85 aircraft to be worked on in inside the Hangar whilst the rest of the aircraft remains outside.

A set of inflatable fabric seals mounted on the main Hangar doors and matched to the shape of the fuselage ensure that the weather stays outside.

Eznis-news03We designed, fabricated and shipped every piece of steelwork, together with the cladding and the very important insulation material.

(temperatures in Ulaanbaatar hit + 40°C in the summer, but drop to – 40°C in the winter)

All packaged into more than 20 containers from the UK to Ulaanbaatar and also supervised the construction and erection of the structure before the worst of the winter weather set in.

Another Hangar Tall Tail

1318931646With many planes getting bigger and bigger, some soon outgrow their hangar. However, there is not always the need to build a totally new one – just a new taller tailgate door & housing did the trick when we upgraded a hangar at Bournemouth International Airport to accommodate a Boeing 747-SP which stands nearly a full metre taller than the standard 747.

Friday 30 September 2011 saw the resident 747-SP move into the newly modified hangar at Bournemouth International Airport.

Our original building was designed for FR Aviation to convert VC10s from commercial aircraft into fuel carrying tankers and also had a tailgate door to allow a standard 747 to enter.

1318931619The most recent requirement was to house a 747-SP which is, unfortunately, almost a metre taller than a standard 747. The work involved the replacement of the existing tailgate door & housing with a new taller door complete with new pod framework and insulated panels.

All work was completed in time and the 747-SP entered its new hangar with 250mm to spare.

 

RAF Valley Squadron Building & Hangar

news-RAF Valley SquadSteel construction work at RAF Valley with both the new Squadron Building and maintenance hangar is now complete.

The 5,500 m2 Squadron building will be used as a state of the art training school which will incorporate the latest technology in simulators and flying training devices to support the development of Fast Jet Pilots for the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy.

The Squadron building will also support flight planning and will provide an operations hub for the fleet of Hawk Mk.T2 aircraft.

The aircraft hangar will be used to house and maintain the aircraft.

Project: RAF Valley Squadron Building and Hangar
Client: VT Group
Location: Isle of Anglesey, Wales, UK

Rizon Jet MRO/FBO Facility

rizonjet-newsConstruction of the new 4,300 m2 Rizon Jet hangar and FBO/VIP Terminal facility at London Biggin Hill Airport is now complete.

REIDsteel designed, manufactured and erected the v-braced, tied segmented steel portal frame, which spans 121m x 36.5m, 16.7m high, with two maintenance floors and two FBO floors.

We also supplied all of the accessories, including cladding, curtain walling, windows, doors and staircases.

Rizon Jet CEO Patrick Enz stated that “Our opening at Biggin Hill fulfils Rizon Jet’s ambition to establish a base in Europe where we will specialise in aircraft maintenance and FBO / VIP Terminal ground handling activities.

The business aviation industry has gone through an immensely tough year but Europe and the Middle East are pulling out of the recession and our timing is good. We have had considerable enquiries.

Aircraft hangar space in the south of England is in strong demand and we are very much looking forward to growing our third party maintenance capabilities.”

Project: Rizon Jet MRO/FBO Facility
Client: Civils Ltd.
Location: Biggin Hill Airport, UK