1The QANTAS hangar is very large structure incorporates a 3-bay heavy maintenance facility providing a column-free space measuring 165m by 72m for the main hangar. The hangar is crucial in QANTAS’ operations in Brisbane, providing the maintenance space for very large aircraft, including Boeing 767 and Airbus A330s. The roof supports 15 tonne cranes, tail docks and fuselage docks – this is a huge and impressive hangar that required some pretty serious engineering.

2As well as creating the clear space hangars require, Holmes Consulting’s design allowed for an efficient and innovative mode of construction. The roof was built at ground level with crane rails, cladding and the majority of the building services installed at that point.  Once that was completed, the roof was jacked up the supporting columns into position using hydraulic jacks – the raising of the roof happened in a single day. It was a construction sequence that required a lot to go right, and it went right first time: testimony to some clever thinking, a robust, simple design and the great teamwork and communication between the various consultants on the projects.