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Design and Construction of the 'CUBIC' Space Frame Roof, Maintenance

Hangar, Stansted Airport

Conference Paper · September 1991

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 Design and Construction of the CUBIC Space Frame Roof,
Maintenance Hangar, Stansted Airport

L.A. KUBIK, M.L. Kubik & Son, UK

J.C. CHILTON, University of Nottingham, UK

ABSTRACT

The CUBIC Space Frame is a patented, modular, three-dimensional structural

system without diagonal members. It uses works manufactured modules which are
simply bolted together on site to create the structure.'
The paper describes the design of the space frame roof and supporting structure
of the FFV Aerotech, Maintenance Hangar at Stansted Airport, U.K. which
received the Supreme Award of the British Construction Industry Awards in 1989
and a Steel Design Award in 1990.
To house two Boeing 747 'Jumbo' jet aircraft in the minimum floor area, the
hangar is designed as two isosceles triangles joined together along one side
to form a diamond shape in plan. Overall dimensions of the hangar roof
structure are 98m by 170m measured on the axes of the diamond and there are no
internal supports. The space frame is 4m deep overall on a modular grid of
approximately 3.5m by 2.0m.
Full support is provided to the space frame along two sides of the building by
lattice columns at approximately 6m centres whilst the other two sides contain
door openings of 72m clear span to allow access for the aircraft. Across these
openings the space frame is supported on 5.9m deep lattice girders.

INTRODUCTION This paper describes the design and

construction of the hangar, now
In June 1985 outline planning operated by FFV Aerotech, and in
approval was given by the British particular the CUBIC Space Frame
Government for the expansion of roof over the required column free
Stansted Airport in Essex, U.K. to area.
become London's third airport
catering for 15 million passengers
per annum (mppa.) with an initial DESIGN CONCEPT
expansion to 8 mppa. capacity. In
the planned expansion to 8 mppa. The proposed hangar, although
provision was made for additional primarily required to accommodate
aircraft maintenance facilities two Boeing 747-400 series aircraft
commensurate with the proposed (B747's) had also to be designed to
increase in traffic. Therefore, in take several smaller aircraft at
1987, Aviation Traders Limited other times. For this a completely
(ATEL) commissioned a hangar to column free building interior was
provide independent maintenance desirable. To allow flexibility of
facilities for the use of small to use, to simplify roof construction
medium sized airlines. The and to permit the installation of
requirement was for a hangar capable overhead cranes covering the whole
of accommodating two Boeing 747 floor area of the hangar, it was
'Jumbo' jet aircraft under one roof decided to provide the maximum
and the associated engineering required headroom of 22.75m over the
worshops, offices etc. full plan area.

135
Plan form The omission of diagonal bracing
members not only reduces the number
Studies were carried out by the of members meeting at a node,
Architects, Faulks, Perry, Culley thereby simplifying fabrication
and Rech and Consulting Engineers, details, but it also provides
Sir Frederick Snow & Partner s, to excellent access for walkways or
determine the most economical plan services through the roof structure.
configuration for the hangar. The The CUBIC Space Frame roof of the
'footprint' of a B747 aircraft hangar was supported on perimeter
approximates to an isosceles columns on the two sides adjoining
triangle and if two such triangles the workshops, and on deep latticed
are set side-by-side, with one side girders over the door openings.
of each in contact, a diamond shaped Since the space frame grid did not
plan is generated which will match the column grid the perimeter
accommodate two B747 aircraft. modules were seated on a Universal
Comparisons were made between the Column (UC) capping beam which
building plan area, volume and" wall spanned between the columns.
area for the diamond plan and more Because of the plan form it was
traditional rectangular layouts and difficult to resist lateral forces
the diamond form was adopted. by conventional bracing in the wall
The chosen plan form allows door planes. Therefore, it was decided
openings in two of the adjacent that all lateral forces would be
diamond faces whilst office, carried by four main corner columns,
workshop and storage facilities' can designed as vertical cantilevers,
then be arranged along the other two with the space frame considered to
sides (see Fig.1). act as a rigid plate transferring
the lateral forces to them (see
Fig.3).
Structural form
The final plan was formed from two
isosceles triangles of side 98m
which gave overall maximum
dimensions of 98 x 170m for the
hangar.
Large openings of 72m were required
for the doors in two of the 98m long
faces but otherwise a reasonable
column spacing of about 6m was
acceptable for the rest of the
building perimeter.
Originally a latticed girder roof
structure had been proposed for the
hangar, using girders approximately
6m deep. However, an alternative
proposal to cover the whole plan
area with a CUBIC Space Frame was
found to be cheaper and was
consequently adopted (Ref.l).
Moreover the CUBIC Space Frame was
only 4m deep, 2m less than the
latticed girder solution, which
reduced the overall height of the Figure 1. Schematic plan view of
hangar in this environmentally proposed hangar.
sensitive location.
The CUBIC Space Frame is a modular, DETAILED DESIGN
three-dimensional structural system
without diagonal bracing, which is Design loading - roof
suitable for a wide range of spans
and loading conditions (Refs. 2-4). The space frame roof was designed to
It is constructed using three basic carry its self-weight, imposed snow
types of factory welded module loading and an allowance for
(Fig.2). On site the projecting services to be installed in the roof
chords of the modules are simply space. It was also designed to
joined together using nuts and accommodate two 3.5 tonne safe
bolts. working load (SWL) radial cranes

136
 Node join
EDGE "T1 MODULE
Vertical post
^
CORNER 'L' MODULE
Figure 2. The CUBIC Space Frame modules
suspended from the underside of the
space frame, the gantries of which
weighed approximately 30 tonnes
each. The structure was checked for
various wind loads, considering the
most critical combinations of open
and closed doors for each wind
direction.
Design loading - supporting columns
As well as supporting the vertical
load from the roof the secondary
columns along the sides of the
hangar span as beams between the
ground and the roof and transmit
lateral wind forces to these
supports.
The main corner columns resist both
vertical loads and the lateral wind
force imposed on the roof plate
which is proportioned to the columns
according to their relative lateral
stiffnesses in the direction of the
resultant wind force.
Thermal expansion of the roof
structure is accommodated by
allowing the columns to deflect
outwards (assuming the centre of the
roof to be fixed in position) and
the main corner columns are designed
for the forces required to produce
the necessary displacements.
Geometry and dimensions of the
structure
The plan form was divided into an
orthogonal grid with the grid lines
parallel to the axes of the diamond.
Forty-eight bays were formed in each
direction to give a nominal grid and
module size 2.048m x 3.547m (Fig.3)
and having an overall depth of 4.0m.
Continuous edge support was provided
for the space frame either on a
perimeter beam supported on the
secondary columns at 6.144m centres
137
Id-chord splice
INTERNAL 'X' MODULE
or on 5.9m deep latticed girders
over the 72m wide x 21m high door
openings. It is worth noting that
the reduced headroom through the
doors permitted the use of a deeper
girder, which was beneficial in
reducing the deflections to the
limits specified by the door
supplier.
To allow for deflection under load
and to provide a fall for rainwater
run-off the space frame is cambered
by having top and bottom chords of
slightly different length to give a
minimum camber under dead load of
1.0m. For consistent module geometry
the perimeter supports are arranged
so that they follow the camber.
All of the columns are of lattice
construction, for economy, the main
corner columns being 3-dimensional
lattice towers typically 3m x 3m x
23m high whilst the secondary
columns are plane trusses 1.2m x 23m
high.
Computer analysis
Analysis of the CUBIC Space Frame
roof was carried out using special
iterative software developed over
the last 10 years by the first
author for the efficient analysis of
this type of structure. The software
is based on elastic theory and
compatibility of deflections at the
nodes of the structure (Refs.2,6).
The final results were checked
against conventional stiffness based
analyses and showed excellent
agreement.The supporting columns and
latticed girders were analysed using
standard 2-dimensional stiffness
based structural analysis software.
The space frame roof is supported
along most of two sides on the
latticed girders over the door
LOCATION OF
MOVEMENT JOINT
BETWEEN MAIN HANGAR Mam columns for
STRUCTURE AND WORKSHOP, ETC 'wind resistance.

grids*? 3.547 m = 170.256 m

Fascia frames bolted

to perimeter of CUBIC
4 m. Gutter --— space frame. /
FAL

Secondary
column,
22.75 m +• camber.

3.0m,

finished floor level.

V 2.6 my

T,~n \I \r support buildin

TYPICAL SECTION A-A
(enlarged).

Figure 3. Main hangar structure

138

400 deep cliord
End plate to SHS
Figure 4. Typical node joint for Stansted modules
openings and there is a degree of
interaction between these two
elements of the building structure
as deflection of the girder.causes
redistribution of load in the roof.
To model this behaviour, following
the initial design and sizing of the
space frame and latticed girder
members, deflection influence
coefficients were determined for the
space frame support locations on the
girder and these were then used in
the re-analysis of the space frame.
It is essential that the loads
applied to the latticed girders and
the consequent deflections are
accurately predicted as the guide
tracks providing horizontal
restraint to the top of the hangar
doors are fixed to them. For the
guide tracks a vertical range of
only + or - 75mm about the dead
loaded position was allowed by the
door manufacturer.
Section sizing and joint" design
Steel design was carried out to
British Standard BS449. Interaction
diagrams were used to show
permissible force combinations for
the space frame members, splices and
nodes and speed up the design
process. Yield line analysis was
used to predict the strength of the
connection at the nodes (Ref.5).
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
Space frame
The space frame is constructed from
modules nominally 2.048 x 3.547m in
plan and 4.0m deep overall with
chord lengths adjusted as described
above to produce the required roof
camber. A total of 1201 modules are
used, the majority being 'X' shaped
in plan but those around the
perimeter being 'I/ shaped in plan
139
SHS Post
Stiffener
plates
200 deep chord
(Fig.3). All of the vertical members
of the modules are of SHS varying
from 200x200mm to 300x300mm serial
sizes and the chord members are all
nominally 200 or 400mm deep
Universal Sections. All roof steel
was of Grade .50 to BS 4360. The
section sizes are varied according
to the forces present in each module
for economy, resulting in 7 section
sizes each for the SHS posts and UB
chords, with modules weighing
between 0.5t and 1.Ot each.
Node joints of the modules are of
fully welded construction with
gusset and end plates used to
reinforce the connection between
chords and verticals (Fig.4). The
mid-chord splices are formed using
splice plates shop welded to one
side of each chord web' (see Fig. 2)
and simple bolted connections on
site. M24 bolts of Grade 8.8 to BS
3692 are used in all of the -module'
splices in close tolerance holes
(1mm clearance). The number of bolts
used in each splice and the size of
the splice plate varies according to
the shear and axial forces being
transmitted by the joint. Up to 20
bolts are used in the most heavily
loaded joints but this reduces to
just 2 bolts in the more lightly
loaded positions.
Columns and latticed girders
The four main corner columns were
fabricated from 356 x 406 UC
sections with 203 x 203 UC bracing,
and the secondary columns from UB
sections with channel bracing. The
latticed girders over the doors also
used 356 x 406 UC sections for the
top and bottom chords with 254 x 254
UC 'X' bracing. Generally the
columns and girders had fully welded
connections. However, for ease of
transportation all elements of the
sub-structure were fabricated in
sections and spliced together on by line, bolting new modules to the
site using HSFG bolted connections previously erected structure (Figs.5
to give full strength connections & 6) .
and to limit displacements. In Since each new line of modules was
particular, the 5.9m deep latticed connected onto an already stressed,
girders were split at mid-height for and therefore deformed, structure,
transport, requiring the use of 'X' the completion of the line was
bracing (Figs.5 & 6). achieved by jacking tension into the
As the main corner columns are bottom chords and compression into
acting as vertical cantilevers, it the top chords using purpose
is essential that extension of the designed frames, supplemented by
holding down bolts is avoided crane lift as appropriate. This
otherwise additional lateral enabled the final "keystone" modules
displacement occurs at the top of to be connected to complete the line
the columns as the column legs in in its stressed state (compare the
tension lift off the concrete base. keystone in a masonry arch).
This was achieved by using a To allow for spreading of the roof
pre-tensioned holding down bolt during construction the space frame
system of 8 No. 40mm diameter was designed to be held in position
MacAlloy bars for each leg of the along one side but was allowed to
columns. The reinforced concrete move along the other side, through
pile caps had to be designed to the provision of slotted holes, the
resist pull-out of the highly connection eventually being made
stressed holding down bolts and this using HSFG bolts to ensure transfer
was achieved by anchoring them to a of lateral wind and thermal movement
grid of steel beams embedded in the forces.
bases.
CLADDING/SERVICES
ERECTION PROCEDURE
The modular system of roof
After completion of the supporting construction using hot rolled ' I'
structure the erection of the space sections for the chords allows the
frame commenced at the middle of the profiled steel roof decking to be
roof across the 98m span. A fixed directly to the space frame
temporary scaffold tower was built eliminating the need for secondary
at the centre of the roof to provide purlins and providing lateral
support for the installation of the restraint to the longer compression
initial section of space frame. chords. The slight camber of the
Three sections of space frame 3 roof is easily accommodated by the
modules wide and together forming decking. The roof covering was
the maximum 98m span were completed by a layer of insulation
constructed on the ground. One and a single-ply PVC membrane.
section was then lifted by two A further advantage of the CUBIC
mobile cranes and positioned on one Space Frame system is the absence of
of the permanent main column diagonal members thus permitting
supports. One of the cranes was then installation of large diameter
released to pick up the second short service ducts and air handling
section of roof, which was then equipment within the roof space.
connected to the first and provided Access walkways can also be
a bridge to the scaffold tower. Then installed in the unobstructed
the third section was lifted and one orthogonal grid. During the
end was set on the other permanent construction of the hangar the
support whilst the other end was bottom chord of the space frame was
bolted to the previously erected temporarily boarded to permit easy
section of space frame using the installation of services within the
standard splice connections. roof void, avoiding the need for
Individual or small groups of special access platforms from the
modules were then added to each side floor below.
of the centre section of the roof,
taking care to avoid excessive CONCLUDING REMARKS
torsional effects on the centre
section of the roof. This process The construction of the FFV Aerotech
continued until 7 rows of modules aircraft maintenance hangar at
had been completed, when the Stansted Airport has been a landmark
scaffold tower was removed. Module for the patented CUBIC Space Frame
erection thereafter proceeded line being the largest clear span

140
Figure 5. Hangar during erection
Figure 6. Main column between doors during erection
building to date to be roofed using - Butler & George.
the system. It has demonstrated that
despite being based upon an
orthogonal, two-layer grid geometry REFERENCES
the CUBIC Space Frame is
sufficiently versatile to permit its [1] Maling,R,H. & Kubik,L.A.:"Jumbo
use in buildings that are not hangar for Stansted
rectangular in plan. The resulting Airport",Yearbook,Institution of
roof structure is both economical Civil Engineers East • Midlands
and shallower than the traditional Association,1989,pp.10-11.
method of framing using latticed [2] Kubik,M.L. & Kubik,L.A.:"An
girders. introduction to the CUBIC Space
The elegance of the solution to the Frame",International Journal of
problem of housing two B747-400 Space Structures,Issue 6(1),1991.
aircraft and the use of the [3] Kubik,L.A.:"The CUBIC Space
innovative space frame roof system Frame in theory and in
resulted in the hangar being awarded practice",Steel Const ruct ion
the Supreme Award of the British Today,Vol.5,No.2,March 1991,pp.59-
Construction Industry Awards in 1989 63.
and a Structural Steel Design Award [4] ChiIton,J.C.:"An investigation
in 1990. of the elastic behaviour of the
CUBIC Space Frame".PhD Thesis,Trent
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Polytechnic,1988.
[5] Kubik,L.A. & McConnel,R.E.:"The
The work which is described in this behaviour of CUBIC Space Frame
paper was undertaken when the joints",Proceedings,3rd.
authors were employed at Burks, International Symposium on Tubular
Green & Partners, the Consulting Structures, ( ed . Niemi/E.),
Engineers responsible for the hangar Lappenranta,Finland,1989,pp.410-417.
superstructure. Architects for the [6] Chilton, J.C., Daffern,C.,
project were Faulks Perry Culley & Kubik,M.L. and McConnel,R.E.:"The
Rech, and overall Consulting CUBIC Space Frame - Its Construction
Engineers were Sir Frederick Snow & and Methods of Analysis Using a
Partners. Other team members Micro-computer" in Shells,Membranes
included Quantity Surveyors - W.T. and Space Frames,Proceedings,IASS
Partnership; Main Contractor Symposium,Osaka,Elsevier Science
Costain Construction Ltd.; Steelwork Publishers,Amsterdam,1986/Vol.3,pp.
Fabricator - A.R. Hunt; and Erector 301-308.

142
 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL IASS SYMPOSIUM
2-6 SEPTEMBER 1991 COPENHAGEN DENMARK

Spatial
Structures
at the Turn of the
Millennium

EDITORS TUREWESTER

STEFAN J. MEDWADOWSKI

IB MOGENSEN

KUNSTAKADEMIETS FORLAG ARKITEKTSKOLEN

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