Tinker AFB Depot Maintenance Hangar

Project OverviewDescripción del proyecto

With the growth of Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, new fuel and maintenance hangars were developed to house, restore, and prepare U.S. Air Force planes and jets. Subcontracted by the Army Corps of Engineers, Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) began the concrete work for the new maintenance hangar in November 2021. Over the following 17 months, ESS project teams developed a quality apron where Air Force planes and vehicles could travel to and from the hangars.

Due to the loads imposed by the heavy aircrafts, 18.5” concrete pavement was designed for the aprons. The thick concrete withstands large aircraft pressure to ensure a lasting product and mitigate the need for repair. The design required 9” concrete pavement along the sides and back of the hangars for vehicular traffic. Project teams worked hand-in-hand with the Army Corps of Engineers to provide pricing and feedback throughout the Design-Build process.

Military contracts require precision and accuracy due to the high-caliber nature of the Air Force Base. With stringent tolerances on almost every aspect of the work, it was essential to lean on the expertise of several different teams within ESS to plan and execute the work while complying with the specifications throughout the project. A mobile concrete batch plant on site allowed the project team to control the schedule and ensure the raw materials were managed and produced at the highest quality. Paving with an Asphalt Vogele and 2800 Gomaco Paver, ESS used stringless technology to construct the 4-inch stabilized drainage layer and concrete pavement. The combination of stringless technology and superior finishing techniques ensured the surfaces met the extremely tight smoothness tolerances.

Special badging was necessary for portions of this project. While a fence was erected to separate the new hangars from ongoing Air Force operations, there were pieces of the project that mandated background checks and clearances for ESS project teams to ensure safe operations. Meeting the Air Force requirements, ESS was able to continue performance and carry on to complete the project.

ESS project teams conducted two projects at the Tinker Air Force Base at the same time. Both the fuel and maintenance hangers required diligent scheduling and coordination to meet project deadlines. Pulling from multiple teams including a batch plant crew, paving crew, quality control, surveying, and trimming crew, ESS was able to band together and get the job done on time.