Maintenance shed A400M Defense
The hangar and ancillary buildings cover a collective surface area of just over 21,000m² - think four soccer fields. There is space to work on three A400M transport aircraft simultaneously in and around this hangar with overhead cranes. The construction of the hangar was carried out by the company Democo and was completed at the end of 2021.
Project properties
That the gigantic span and spectacularly undulating roof could effectively be constructed is largely due to the ingenious steel structure used to build the new maintenance shed. Given the complexity of this project, general contractor Democo called on the expertise of C-metal in the Cordeel Group, which has specialized in the manufacture of all types of medium and large steel structures for many years.
"So we don't shy away from large spans, intricate geometric structures and complex architectural masterpieces," says head of operations Philippe T'Sjoen. "Our strength is that we perform such projects from A to Z and are also EN1090 excl. 2/3/4 certified. It was clear that the construction for the aircraft hangar was going to be a daring feat, especially the span of 62 meters per hall, in which gates of 50 meters wide and 18 meters high were fitted. Everything was built with bolt-nut connections and shaft adjustments (hinged). The production and assembly of the undulating roof was also a gigantic challenge, especially since it rests only on the supporting columns. No intermediate pillars have been installed, thus creating a large open space to perform the necessary maneuvers and operations with and around the aircraft.
A total of eighty people from C-metal worked on this project and about 2,500 tons of steel were used for the main shed structure. In short: it was an extensive assignment that allowed us to demonstrate our knowledge and creativity."