The Challenges of Keeping a Comfortable Working Environment Inside a Maintenance Hangar
Because a maintenance hangar needs to be big enough to house an airplane, there is normally a lot of internal space that has to be climate controlled for the comfort of the maintenance crew. And, when you consider that a lot of hangars have expansive bay doors that are often kept open so that aircraft can be moved into and out of the building, it’s easy to see how local weather patterns can affect temperatures inside the structure.
Permanent hangars constructed of traditional materials require industrial HVAC systems for climate control, which can quickly drive up energy costs. A better option for fixed-based operators or for military organizations is a fabric maintenance hangar from Big Top. Though our structures can also be equipped with an HVAC system, they are naturally climate controlled by design and can provide relief from heavy energy usage.
How Our Fabric Hangars Control Internal Temperatures Better
The hallmark feature of our aircraft hangars is the fabric roof, which is formulated to repel 99.95 percent of harmful UV-A and UV-B radiation. Prolonged exposure to the sun can create health issues with your personnel and wear down the paint and electronics of your aircraft, but our structures offer superior protection from these risks. By reflecting thermal energy, the fabric roof of a Big Top maintenance hangar will also help to maintain an internal temperature that is 15 degrees cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, on average. This benefit alone can help reduce the need for artificial climate control and over-consumption of energy.
Other Benefits of Big Top’s Aircraft Hangars
The fabric roof of our hangars can further minimize your energy usage thanks to its translucent design. During the day, natural sunlight will flood into the interior, providing ample light for maintenance crews to perform their duties without the need for electric lighting. However, should your maintenance schedule continue after dark, artificial lighting can be installed.
A maintenance hangar from Big Top is constructed with a high-quality galvanized steel frame and can withstand years of abuse from the elements. If your base of operations is located in an area where building codes require engineering for heavy wind and snow loads, Big Top will ensure your hangar complies. Furthermore, our fabric structures can be anchored to nearly any type of foundation, even asphalt and shipping containers, which makes them a versatile solution no matter where your maintenance shelter is required.
Customized to Meet Your Unique Needs
Our aircraft hangars can be customized in myriad ways to meet your exact maintenance needs. For instance, there is virtually no limit of size. Whether you need a simple sunshade or a full-size maintenance hangar for jumbo commercial or military aircraft, Big Top can build it. We can also include bay doors, personnel doors, lightning protection, and a range of other accessories in the design.
Another key feature that makes our fabric shelters a better alternative to permanent buildings is their portability. Should you decide to relocate your maintenance operations to somewhere off base, your fabric structure can be disassembled, stored, and shipped for future use.
If you’ve grown tired of the high costs of heating and cooling your maintenance hangar, consider a fabric alternative from Big Top. Contact us today to learn more about how we can build an aircraft hangar that costs less, uses less energy, and offers better versatility than a permanent building.
