One of the world’s largest aircraft hangars currently under construction at Doha International Airport has recently completed an engineering feat with the raising of the roof using unique arch-shaping technology known as ‘stress erection’.
The flat roof of the $18 million facility, to be used for the maintenance of Qatar Airways aircraft, was assembled in a horizontal position at ground level before being raised during a 10-hour procedure that involved no cranes – just a series of cables and hydraulic jacks, says a company spokesman.
The technology – known as ‘stressed arch’ – involved 144 thick steel cables encased in long tubes tugged at the structure, forcing six trusses to move inwards up to 20 m and shaping the flat roof to slowly form an arch.
The first section of the curved roof covering an area of 155 m by 60 m was raised in a five-hour operation in March. The second section measuring 155 m by 72 m was raised in a similar time frame last month. On completion, the hangar will be the biggest of its kind featuring stretched arch technology, says the spokesman.
Construction work on the project began in June 2004 and is scheduled for completion over the next two months. When fully complete, the hangar will measure 155 m in length, 135 m wide and 35 m high at its highest point.
The stretched arch technology was developed by Strarch, an Australian company that specialises in large clear span building structures using mainly structural steel in unique ways.
The new hangar will be capable of accommodating two Airbus A330s simultaneously as well as the new double-deck A380 when it comes into service in 2009. In addition, the hangar can have six other aircraft parked inside – four A320s and two smaller executive jets.
Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker says: “Having the largest facility of its kind in the Middle East, let alone the world, to accommodate up to nine aircraft at the same time enables this facility to also become a maintenance centre for other airlines.
“The hangar will be unique on its completion because of its ground-breaking technology. As an airline, Qatar Airways is at the forefront of innovation by introducing revolutionary products and services and, as a country, Qatar is shaping itself to be at the forefront of the aviation industry by developing a global hub.”
British consultancy company WS Atkins has been appointed by Qatar Airways to oversee the hangar project.
• Tenders worth up to $2 billion for work on Qatar’s New Doha International Airport will be offered in May, company representatives said.
Bechtel Aviation, which is managing the construction of the region’s only greenfield airport, is planning to use Dubai’s Airport Build and Supply Exhibition (May 23 to 25) to elaborate on details of the $2.6 billion mega project.
“So far, we have awarded contracts worth about $600 million for site mobilisation, land reclamation and rubbish landfield removal work,” said Rudy Vercelli, Bechtel’s director for global strategic development.
“Our priority over the next few months will be finding advanced and qualified airport equipment suppliers in the market,” he said.
