Project - Morgan Sindall and British Airways

Flexiscreen for dust control

• Company: British Airways (Morgan Sindall)

• Location: Heathrow Airport

• Overview: Protect operational aircraft hangar during extension

• Solution: Flexiscreen

Morgan Sindall had been contracted by Heathrow Airport Ltd and British Airways to modernise hangars at the West London airport in preparation for the arrival of the new airbus. This will allow greater flexibility of working space during maintenance and repair work on the British Airways fleet. The work involved extending one of the aircraft maintenance hangars and required a screening solution to keep the main part of the hangar operational, while building work was being carried out. A temporary, fire retardant ‘dividing wall’ needed to be erected to prevent dust transgressing from the building site to the ‘working’ side of the hangar and to protect personnel and valuable equipment on both sides.

The main challenge was the overall height of the hangar. Because of where the hangar was situated and the large opening to the front, there was also the matter of exceptional wind loadings to consider. The client had considered a scaffold sheeting system, but this would take up too much floor space, take longer to erect and not ensure a dust tight seal.