PROJECT

KC-135 Maintenance Hangar & Shops

As prime A-E contractor, we provided full design and construction support services for a new maintenance aircraft hangar to support the KC-135 aircraft, creating a significant leap in operational efficiency for the Tennessee Air National Guard and 134th Air Refueling Wing. Our design also enabled future accommodation of a KC-46A aircraft, while still satisfying the construction budget and schedule. The flexibility was achieved by optimizing the facility footprint and reducing cost by shaping the structure to fit around the KC-46A.

The complex project yielded a 57,400-square-foot, LEED Silver–certified facility with long-span steel roof trusses, fall protection systems, rolling bi-parting hangar door and tail door coordination, and shallow foundations. Administration and shop areas — including a 4,600-square-foot corrosion control area and 5,400-square-foot avionics shop, plus 19,400 square feet of general-purpose shops — are structurally independent from the 28,000-square-foot hangar bay according to anti-terrorism/force protection (ATFP) requirements. The areas are also special reinforced masonry load-bearing structures to minimize seismic demand on the facility.

Interior finishes and colors were selected to provide low maintenance and durability while retaining a clean design aesthetic over time. Neutral colors with accents, patterns and textures were incorporated to mask day-to-day soiling between cleanings. Space planning and furniture requirements were coordinated closely with end users. Furniture plans validated space planning and room sizes based on function and occupancy. Existing equipment layouts were coordinated to support the move from existing spaces. Furniture, fixtures and equipment were designed and selected to be standardized, easily reconfigurable and seamlessly integrated with the building. Also included were high-density storage, pre-wired panel base workstations and modular shop storage cabinets.

Life cycle cost analysis evaluated heating and cooling systems for the occupied portions of the building, including a variable air volume (VAV) air handling system, four-pipe fan coil units with dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS), and ground source heat pumps with DOAS. The hangar bay includes a gas-fired infrared radiant heating system and hot water makeup air units for minimum required ventilation. The hangar includes fire suppression, fire alarm and life safety systems.

Client

Tennessee Air National Guard

Location

McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base

Region

Southeast

Services

Department of Defense

National Guard

Industry

Government & Military

Awards

U.S. Air Force Design Honor Award, Facilities New Construction

Site Development & Planning

Site development included water, electrical, sanitary sewer, communications and storm sewer connections to existing infrastructure. We designed pavement for apron access and vehicle/equipment parking. In support of the fire suppression system, a separate project altered the base pumphouse.

Siting included developing a concept master plan for a new KC-135 maintenance complex adjacent to the existing KC-135 parking apron. New infrastructure was required, including roads, water distribution, firewater supply, sewer collection, gas distribution, electrical and communication distribution, and stormwater drainage. Sitework also included hangar airfield access apron pavements, government vehicle access drives around the hangar, parking lots, force protection security standards, and landscaping. Firewater supply was coordinated with the existing water storage tank and pumphouse with a new 14-inch dedicated firewater line. Site development included a separate construction package for relocating the munitions storage area away from the new hangar.

Value & Innovation Applied

Our team accounted for the local cold weather climate and moisture-sensitive site soils, including addressing field conditions during construction to modify site soils or replace with suitable material when pockets of old buried soils were discovered. Pavement and building construction were accomplished while factoring in the winter design temperatures, seismic requirements, and results from soil borings investigating localized karst conditions or voids under the building site.

Siting and grading included modeling the site stormwater discharge to meet requirements for stormwater quality and quantity, including stormwater basins and recommended structures to accommodate the full campus build-out.

Additional Scope

Construction phase services

Design for Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC)

Environmental compliance

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) permitting

Hazardous material abatement

Planning via ArcGIS models

Specifications development

Surveying and mapping