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Anyone who flies in harsh conditions and remote locations has given thought to shelter, not only for themselves but also for the aircraft that provide their livelihood and a lifeline to the rest of the world.

Built to Last

Ben Forrest | November 23, 2016

Estimated reading time 8 minutes, 1 seconds.

Anyone who flies in harsh conditions and remote locations has given thought to shelter, not only for themselves but also for the aircraft that provide their livelihood and a lifeline to the rest of the world.

Anyone who flies in harsh conditions and remote locations has given thought to shelter, not only for themselves but also for the aircraft that provide their livelihood and a lifeline to the rest of the world.

But in the past, options for durable, versatile aircraft hangars were limited. An operator could go the traditional route, erecting a metal building over several months via conventional construction.

“Those are designed, though, to be that location only,” said Jim Avery, vice president of Sprung Structures. “And for the life of that location it’s going to be a hangar.”

There is another way to go about it, one that required decades of innovation, commitment to perfection and thinking outside the box. It’s a solution militaries have embraced, and one ideally suited to civil rotorcraft and fixed-wing operators.

That’s where Sprung Structures comes in.

A family-owned company founded in 1887, Sprung invented and perfected what are known as tension membrane structures — rugged, adaptable, permanent or semi-permanent buildings that can be put up in a matter of weeks and relocated whenever needed.

“We’re engineered for permanence, but we’re designed to be relocated,” said Avery.

Both the U. S. military and Canadian Armed Forces have used Sprung Structures, in places as tough and unforgiving as Afghanistan and Iraq.

They’re some of the more than 12,000 Sprung structures installed in 100 countries around the world, in locations as varied as Buras, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina and Fort McMurray, Alberta, after this summer’s devastating wildfires.

“This isn’t a tent,” said Avery. “This is an engineered, sophisticated structure. It is designed to meet extreme wind loads, shed snow.

A family-owned company founded in 1887, Sprung invented and perfected what are known as tension membrane structures -- rugged, adaptable, permanent or semi-permanent buildings that can be put up in a matter of weeks and relocated whenever needed.

“It’s virtually an airtight envelope that can be erected extremely fast. And no need to sacrifice energy efficiency — Sprung has developed a comprehensive insulation package providing R25 to R30 values with a dual vapor barrier and a finished interior membrane.”

Sprung structures use a series of aluminum beams with individual membrane panels tensioned between them. They come insulated or uninsulated, and in many cases can be put up on dirt, asphalt or concrete.

“If it’s a permanent application, you’re obviously going to pour concrete,” said Avery. “But if you’re in a resource sector and you’re in a remote location, you can erect the structure on asphalt or a gravel pad.

“The beauty of that is, it goes up much faster than conventional construction. It has the flexibility to be expanded or relocated.

“So you can go into, say, a northern community, needing a medical facility to house an aircraft for five years, and then you can take it down and move it to another location. And it’s designed to do exactly that.”

Sprung made a big splash in the aerospace industry in 1982, when it was awarded a worldwide tender from NASA to build a rapidly-deployable shelter that could house the space shuttle in the event of an emergency landing.

The structure was designed to fly out to any one of 200 predetermined sites around the world on a moment’s notice.

For larger hangars, Sprung also offers telescoping doors that have been used in the U.S. military and are starting to find applications in the commercial and resource sectors.

“They weren’t going to put up any hangar that was not going to meet typical engineering requirements,” said Avery. “You’re not going to put up a tent.”

A major limitation for tension membrane structures in the past was the lack of proper hangar doors to protect aircraft from the elements.

But Sprung invested heavily in finding solutions to that problem, and the result is a series of reliable, engineered hangar doors that are designed specifically for aircraft.

“They can open quickly, close quickly, they’re affordable, and most importantly will stand up to the scrutiny of an aircraft hangar door and be able to get a permit in most locations,” said Avery.

“We have developed [a few different] doors, because in the aviation industry there’s a wide variety of doors for various applications.”

Sprung made a big splash in the aerospace industry in 1982, when it was awarded a worldwide tender from NASA to build a rapidly-deployable shelter that could house the space shuttle in the event of an emergency landing.

Sprung offers an armadillo door that resembles the layered, overlapping sections of an armadillo shell and opens and closes like a mouth or a clamshell. It’s designed mainly for the military expeditionary market and has had a tremendous response, said Avery.

The company also offers center-pivoting doors that resemble pie-shaped segments of rounded buildings — ideal for helicopter hangars in remote sites that house single or multiple aircraft.

Sprung offers an armadillo door that resembles the layered, overlapping sections of an armadillo shell and opens and closes like a mouth or a clamshell. It's designed mainly for the military expeditionary market and has had a tremendous response, said Avery.

Sprung recently launched a high-rise door that fits within the end of the structure and opens hydraulically in one piece.

“The advantage is that the door fits inside the width of the structure, which works well in airport environments,” said Avery.

“So this particular door is designed to be put up quickly, it’s affordable and works extremely well. It saves space and time.”

For larger hangars, Sprung also offers telescoping doors that have been used in the U.S. military and are starting to find applications in the commercial and resource sectors.

“Not only does this technology exist now, it’s very viable,” said Avery. “With our latest innovations in aircraft hangar door technology we think we really have a solution for the aviation market that has not previously been available.”

The story of Sprung Structures is one of constant refinement, of innovation and of evolution, from making canvas for covered wagons as settlers moved west in the 19th century to designing a space-aged structure worthy of NASA’s trust.

And today, the company offers a compelling option for anyone who needs an aircraft hangar, especially in remote locations with extreme conditions.

“There are a number of aircraft hangar solutions in the marketplace, but we can offer considerably more value in terms of speed and relocatability,” said Avery.

“This technology is working, and it has to be taken seriously in the aircraft hangar industry.”

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1 Comment

  1. Quote on a 80 x 80 building on the Bethel, Alaska airport Bethel Alaska 99559. On gravel. Used for helicopter storage and also fixed wing storage.

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