Charleston Air Force Base houses the 437th Airlift Wing, the unit responsible for flying and maintaining the C-17 Globemaster III. The C-17 is the newest and most flexible cargo aircraft in the Air Mobility Command airlift system. Austin AECOM provided design and construction services for a 77,000-sq-ft Corrosion Control Facility/Paint Hangar to provide maintenance for the C-17 aircraft.
The air-handling system is designed to move air horizontally across all portions of the aircraft surface at a minimum of 75 feet per minute, utilizing a near laminar horizontal airflow, from nose to tail of the C-17 aircraft. An exhaust system removes paint fumes and filters paint particulate in accordance with the latest environmental regulations.
The DDC control system, which automatically adjusts fan supply and exhaust, provides a constant air volume and velocity over all surfaces undergoing the paint application process. The HVAC system is computer controlled to maintain a minimum temperature at all times in the paint dock. In addition, sophisticated fan speed controls maintain a precise static pressure inside the paint dock relative to the adjacent areas and the exterior of the facility.
A high expansion foam fire protection system provides full hangar floor coverage with a minimum of environmental impact. The hangar and adjacent spaces are also protected by closed-head water sprinkler systems.
This project was solicited, awarded, and executed utilizing the two-phase Design-Build method with the U.S. Navy Facilities Engineering serving as Contracting Officer for the USAF. The project was completed in July of 2002 for a cost of $18,275,000.
