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Thread: Steel Hangar

  1. #1

    Aircraft Hangar Construction

    Hi everyone! I'm attempting to build an aircraft hangar. Does anyone have any recommendation on what company to use to build a hangar? I want something bare bones, but is enclosed and has an automatic door. Probably 60' by 40' by 15'. I was looking for a kit that I could put up with a friend.

    I was thinking of...

    http://steelarchbuildings.com/catalo...ft-hangars.php
    http://www.worldwidesteelbuildings.c...ft-hangers.php

    or something similar.

    Any advice or suggestions would be beneficial.

    Brent
    Last edited by Aircraft Artist; 03-30-2013 at 12:58 AM.

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jul 2012
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    I can't help you much with the hangar itself, but, depending on where you live, I would never build a hangar with a north facing door in the north country, ever.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    Justin, Texas
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    Brent: I'd stay away from the steel arch type buildings if you are going to do anything but hangar stuff in it. The corrigations are deep and it's difficult to attach anything to them and not lose a lot of space. Also, anything you screw or bolt to them is a potential leak as it is a penetration to the outside. Another thing, forming for the foundation is considerably more expensive and involved if you choose to not buy the anchor system for on the slab surface installation. You can figure a couple of grand extra either way over the cost for just a flat slab. With the arch types, you also have to be very careful about heights...We were looking at one until I superimposed the dimenstion of my Fairchild on jacks on the end diagram. I need 25' of width at 18' of height and that pushed us up a couple of sizes of building. By the time it was added up, the cost was considerably more than a conventional steel building.

    Best thing to do is make up a wish list, prioritize it and then shop the design criteria to a number of building companies. Have them all bid the same set of specs and requirements so that you can compare easily....

    Building
    Delivery to site
    Order to delvery time
    Erection

    If they don't do erection directly, you can get bids on that too from local erectors. I'd also have locals bid the foundation and slab work unless you go with a local building manufacturer

    As a time and expense saver, install water, sewer and power prior to doing the slab. You might not want them now, but if you do in the future, the hard part is already done.

    I know it's lots of work upfront, but it's way cheaper to plan a lot of this stuff in than to retrofit it later.

  4. #4
    hogheadv2's Avatar
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    Contracting for something in this order may likely be less expensive.http://mortonbuildings.com/buildings/farm-ag/ [ Not the massive size, But the Huge end door] It sounds easy enough but getting those corrugated Quonset things put together takes some lifting equipment.

  5. #5

    Join Date
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    When I built my hangar I did a LOT of homework. It turns out that steel vs wood buildings wind up costing the same.

    My neighbor went to the Morton dealer and that crew put up a nice wood frame hangar with metal skins and a bifold door.

    I went to Erect-A-Tube and was the general contractor for my building. The Erect-A-Tube kit was completed down to the last nut and bolt. I was very happy with the quality of the kit.

    You will need access to a crane for a couple of days to put up the main structural pillars and lift up the roof trusses. Once the skeleton is up you can finish with common tools.

    Its a big project but very nice to have at the end.

    I used "Hard Deck" on my concrete floor. Gloss white. The reflectivity cuts way down on how many overhead lights you need. And we call it "the garage-mahal".

    And if you get snow in the winter your door should face south it at all possible. The sun reflecting from my door melts the snow in front of it away pretty fast despite my having decided to grow grass rather than put concrete in.

    Best of luck,

    Wes
    N78PS

  6. #6

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    I went with Morton. Couldn't be happier.

  7. #7

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    Nov 2011
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    Minnetonka MN
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    That's a pretty large and high hangar. Do you really need all that much wind profile? Depends of course where you live & the types of wind loads likely to be encountered.

    Don't get any shade tree operation to design it for you as the structural requirements for everything with the necessary large folding door are pretty severe yet needed. My neighbor has a wood framed steel hangar with a hydraulic automatic door that makes the top of the hangar shift horizontally about 1/2 inch, wrinkling the side skins whenever it is opened.

    Do you have to meet NEC aircraft hangar electrical codes (i. e. all wiring in thick walled steel conduit done only by a professional electrician, w explosion proof lights etc) or can you get by with just NEC codes used for a household garage? The NEC hangar codes are very stringent and seem out of place in our types of hobby activities.

    Yes - avoid north or east facing if you have a snow/ice problem. Also consider where the snow that slides off the roof vs your service entrance door location. I didn't & have to keep at it w a shovel.

  8. #8

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    Most hangars that use a bifold door need to be taller to accomodate the door. My 48x48 has a bifold door that opens 14' and even with a low pitch roof that translates into a 21' peak height. And you would be surprised how tall tri gear airplanes are and you also have to allow for the tail to bounce up and down as the nose gear springs over the edge of the floor coming in and out. Do not buy a door that opens too little.

    Building codes and requirements vary from town to town and state to state. My hangar is on property that is zoned residential and is an accessory use building, i.e. a barn. As a result, I was able to be the general contractor and do all of the excavation, wiring, and interior work myself with periodic inspections by the town building inspector. If I had put up the same hangar at the municipal airport it would have been zoned commercial and I would have to had more involvement by licensed trades-people. I will note that the residential building code does not have rules for airplane hangars, so I built a barn, which is covered. A hangar is really just a machinery storage building with a large door. No more no less. So check with the building department in your locale as to whether your location is commercial or falls under a different category.

    Construction is a whole 'nother knowlege area that has its own set of standard practices and rules. All of those are intended to have you put up a building that will not fall down, blow down, or burn down, so it is worth understanding the whys and wherefores. As the east coast storms of the last few years have shown us, you do not want to arrive at the airport and find that the hangar has crushed your pride and joy flying machine.

    Best of luck,

    Wes
    N78PS

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