U.S. Coast Guard Consolidated Hangar Complex
A complex aviation mission comes under one roof, delivering safety, efficiency and schedule certainty through a hybrid design that supports readiness for fixed and rotary wing operations.
Project
Overview
Designed and built to support a critical federal aviation mission, this new hangar and support complex delivers a fully integrated maintenance environment for fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft at the U.S. Coast Guard Mobile Air Station in Mobile, Ala.
Developed under the command of the Department of Homeland Security as part of Operation Deep Water, the facility was engineered to provide operational readiness, safety and efficiency within a tightly controlled schedule.
The 492-foot-long complex measures 162 feet deep and rises 53 feet high, combining nearly 80,000 square feet of hangar space with more than 44,000 square feet of support and administrative areas.
Butler Heavy Structures executed the project using a custom hybrid structural approach that blends Butler pre-engineered and conventional components to achieve the most cost-effective solution without compromising performance.
This strategy allowed each area of the building to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining a unified structural system.
The hangar is organized into five bays, with two designated for aircraft maintenance, one serving as an internal wash down bay and two reserved as a rotary wing hangar deck. Two 2-ton overhead cranes traverse the hangar to support maintenance operations.
Natural daylight fills the hangar bays through translucent wall panels, reducing energy demand while improving visibility and working conditions for crews.
The exterior wall system consists of the Butlerib® II metal wall system installed over 2-inch foam panels, delivering thermal performance and durability in a coastal environment.
The roof is a painted MR-24® standing seam metal roof system engineered for long term weather resistance.
At the rear of the facility, a two-story structure houses maintenance control, shops and storage areas. At deck level, the space includes an avionics shop, battery charging rooms, a HAZMAT pharmacy and office, a survival shop, a raft room, storage areas and offices.
The lower level supports large storage zones, administrative offices, conference rooms, crew lunchroom, flight planning and briefing rooms and multiple locker areas. A vertical equipment lift connects the two levels, while an exterior walkway runs the length of the facility to support daily operations.
Fire protection was engineered to meet the demands of aviation maintenance, utilizing high expansion foam systems within the hangar bays and standard response sprinklers throughout the shop and office areas.
A 2-hour firewall separates the hangar from the two-story support structure, reinforcing safety and code compliance. The two-story areas are heated and cooled using geothermal HVAC units, supporting energy efficiency and operational resilience.
From commencement of sitework to building occupancy, the project was delivered in just 16 months. The completed facility provides the Coast Guard with a controlled, efficient and durable environment to maintain aircraft readiness, reinforcing mission assurance where reliability and performance are nonnegotiable.
