Caunton Engineering have recently completed the construction of a new Hangar Facility at London Luton Airport for main contractor, Marriott Construction. The total steelwork content was over 600te. The new structure is capable of housing up to six Boeing 737 airliners. The Hangar has a clear span of 85 metres and accommodates a massive main hangar door 80 metres in width by 13.6 metres high top hung and weighing over 24 tonnes.



The Hangar itself has been built for client, Signature Flight Support, in order to replace two existing ones both recently demolished.. The main hangar is constructed with latticed trusses to follow a curved profile. The 85 m. span trusses were themselves laid out in facet-ed form and were each fabricated in five sections. Lateral stability of the hangar was introduced by means of a substantial wind girder in the roof plane, with loads transferred to the base via a minimum of vertical bracing



A major technical problem to overcome was the provision of accuracy required for support of the door mechanism. The door support beam had in fact to be re-levelled after installation of the roof cladding and the application of the door loads.



In addition to the supply of the hangar, a three storey steel framed office block has been constructed adjacent to one of the elevations.



Architect for this project was Architects Co- Partnership, Structural Engineer Roscoe Capita. and Quantity Surveyor Peter Bushnell Associates.