In addition to renovating and rehabilitating the existing 28,000 SF Maryland Army Aviation Support Facility, 90,000 SF were added to fulfill operational requirements established by the Maryland Air National Guard and the US Purchasing & Facilities Office in Havre de Grace, MD. The original facility could accommodate two Chinook or four Blackhawk helicopters. In order to meet the demands of a new mission, the facility required the construction of 10 additional hangar bays:
– 3 bays for maintaining Chinook helicopters
– 3 bays for storing Chinook helicopters
– 2 bays for maintaining Blackhawk helicopters
– 2 bays for storing Blackhawk helicopters
The new mission called for major renovation of the existing hangar and support areas, including significant changes in the existing mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire suppression systems for the following:
– Conversion of the existing supply area to an Aviation Life Support Equipment (ALSE) shop
– Constructing a library/classroom, a learning center, and an audio/visual storage area
– Developing a 1,625 SF secure classroom within a SCIF enclosure
– Developing an emergency operations center
– Renovation of the pneudraulics, engine repair, electrical, and airframe/welding/structural shops
The new mission also required the construction of five new maintenance bays and five new aircraft storage bays in a modified pre-engineered metal building on deep pile foundations with the following supporting facilities:
– Tool and parts storage areas
– Second floor administrative offices
– Relocated physical fitness and break area
– Loading dock and covered storage area
– New access roadway and building access apron
– Rigid pavement aircraft parking pads and hangar apron
The exterior walls of the building addition are clad in textured insulated metal panels matching the texture and color of the EIFS walls in the adjacent existing building. To protect the wall panels from damage, lower portion of the exterior walls are clad in concrete masonry units (CMU) with exterior face brick to a height of 4 FT. Daylight is brought into the hangar bays on the landside façades through translucent fiberglass sandwich panels, and on the airside façades through translucent panels in the upper portion of the fabric hangar doors. Skylights provide additional daylighting for the maintenance hangar bays. Aircraft access to the hangar bays is provided by 10 fabric doors; each door provides 27 FT of clear vertical clearance to accommodate the design airframes.
Special equipment includes a 3-ton bridge crane; special interior construction includes a paint booth for finishing parts. The new hangar bay are protected by an aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) fire suppression system integrated into the building structure, and are heated by in-floor hydronic tubing.
Hangar bay finishes include exposed roof structure and fuel-resistive resinous flooring system. Finishes in support areas include gypsum board on steel studs with lay-in acoustical ceilings in offices and personnel convenience areas, and painted CMU walls and open ceilings in shops and maintenance areas. Finishes throughout have been selected for durability and ease of maintenance.
Sustainable features include low-flow plumbing fixtures to reduce water consumption, eliminating the use of potable water for irrigation, and high efficiency fixtures and equipment to reduce energy consumption. Building materials and products incorporated into the facility include recycled material; many of them originate within 500 miles of the building location. Indoor air quality is maintained by providing mechanical system filtration, pollutant source control, and the use of materials will low vapor emissions. USGBC Certification: LEED Gold.
