Steelwork ensures new hangar will be ready for take-off

Requiring more than 1,000t of structural steelwork, a new hangar is under construction at Farnborough Airport.

Known as Domus III, the £55M 16,250m² structure will increase the available hangar space in preparation for the next generation of business jets. It is centrally located in a prime position adjacent to the airport’s two main taxiways and it is said to complement the existing award-winning architecture and state-of-the-art facilities.

The hangar measures 300m-long x 50m-wide, reaching a maximum height of 18m. It is divided in half, by an internal partition wall and a movement joint, whereby each half of the hangar contains two bays, with each one accommodating a door.

The bays are 75m-wide and formed with 4m-deep primary trusses, that run the length of the building, spanning between columns situated on either side of the four automated door frames.

Connected to the primary trusses are a series of 40m-long secondary trusses, that span the width of the structure and help form the roof of the hangar and the important column-free internal space.

Running along the entire elevation opposite the main hangar doors, the building has a 10m-wide two-storey office block. The ground floor of the office will provide storage and plant equipment space, while the upper level will accommodate offices for the clients using the hangar. The first floor has a composite design, with steel beams supporting 2,200m² of metal decking and a concrete topping.

Working on behalf of main contractor McLaughlin & Harvey, BHC is the project’s steelwork contractor.

The Domus III hangar is scheduled to be completed in early 2024.