Precision dust control screen for hangar door replacement at Heathrow airport

Sector: Airports

Company: Mace Construct Limited

Location: Heathrow Airport, London

Overview: External screen for dust and weather protection during hangar door replacement

Solution: Flexiscreen

International construction experts Mace Construct Limited (commonly known as Mace) contacted Westgate Global, as their temporary dust screen solution Flexiscreen was initially specified by ARUP (Global Design Engineers) regarding a hangar door replacement project at British Airways Facility Support Unit (FSU), Heathrow airport. The primary objective was to protect the planes and interior of the hangar from adverse weather and dust ingress, during the replacement of their two giant, 50 year old hangar doors. 

Flexiscreen, an engineered and reinforced PVC coated fabric dust screen, was chosen as it needed to be versatile enough to be fitted at a 70֯ angle and capable of being removed and reinstalled on the opposite side of the hangar during the next phase, allowing for the eventual replacement of both sets of doors. Westgate Global and Mace chose to first enclose the North Door. The initial phase involved the meticulous installation of the Flexiscreen, given the vast width of 95 metres, a huge height of 27 metres and a total of three kilometres of 10mm steel cable was used throughout the project.

Precision was paramount to ensure the screen’s efficiency against dust, wind and weather elements. Mace required 8 metres of working floor space to remove the hangar doors, the Flexiscreen was fitted to and hung from the main structural door girder, installed on a 70֯ angle, and splayed out at the bottom to 8 metres. This working space allowed for a crane to be lowered, angled and positioned to remove each door safely – the Flexiscreen then acted as the external weathering component until the new hangar door was fitted. Additionally, two steel pedestrian doors were installed within the Flexiscreen to facilitate easy access and ensure health and safety compliance.

The benefits of using Flexiscreen over the traditional method of scaffold sheets, is that it is more robust, boasts a 99% dust-tight seal, can be fitted around protrusions and wind loads calculated by Westgate Global’s Structural Engineer. Scaffold sheets would have required a structure to be built to hang the sheets from (taking more room and time to install) and not wind load calculated – an important factor of this project. Westgate Global also visit the site to retest tautness and wind load calculations every 12 weeks to comply with the Temporary Works procedure.

The installation of wind load strap anchor points every 1300mm and 87 ratchet rachet fixing points were fitted within 2mm tolerance over 95m, furthermore proving how Westgate Global could be trusted to get the job done right, first time.

Above the primary wind-rated Flexiscreen, a high-level walkway was also enclosed, using an additional screen measuring 3.5 metres in height. This screen included eight Health and Safety employee exits with zip openings, (which would’ve been much more difficult to include within scaffold sheets), to maintain access to the service platforms; ensuring that maintenance and operational activities could continue without being hindered by adverse weather or unnecessary dust ingress during the door replacement process.

Westgate Global’s installation of the Flexiscreen for Mace showcased their expertise in delivering tailored, durable, and reusable solutions. The project’s success highlighted the importance of working with a knowledgeable and experienced company with precision and structurally assured installation, and the benefits of using a more environmentally friendly approach with reusable systems in large-scale industrial projects.

The second phase of the project will involve the Flexiscreen components being carefully demounted, transported and utilised for replacing the South Door. The reinstallation process aims to replicate the initial setup, maintaining the same standards of precision and stability.