FSB facilitated a new era of partnership between Delta Air Lines and Rolls-Royce Trent through the design and renovation of an existing hangar into an 180,000 SF Engine Support Facility at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. A part of the Delta Air Lines Technical Operations Center, the renovated Hangar 1 is used for maintenance, overhaul and repair for wide-body aircraft engines, including the Trent XWB, Trent 7000, and Trent 1000 aircraft engines. The facility was only the second official Rolls Royce-approved maintenance center worldwide and the only one in the United States.
The customized design of the Engine Support Facility includes an overhead utility distribution system and better accessibility for maintenance bays. The utility distribution system moves major building equipment such as air handlers, electrical substations and panel boards off the shop floor and allows for maximum flexibility for future changes. Electrical busway, compressed air, and other utilities are also distributed across the building and can be tapped to deliver utilities to the areas needed without taking up valuable floor space or interfering with bridge crane coverage.
The Engine Shop located on the ground floor is a high-bay area with considerable floor space designed to provide the maximum flexibility required to disassemble and reassemble the very large turbofan engine. The space contains expansive areas for assembly and disassembly bays, hospital bays, and Module Shops.
The Engine Disassembly, Repair, and Assembly areas are located on the ground floor with a new mezzanine above containing spaces for Kitting and an APU Shop. The Kitting and APU Shop are accessed by passenger elevators and a 14′ x 14′ material lift which facilitates the transfer of large, heavy items from the ground floor onto the mezzanine level. The mezzanine level takes advantage of the high clearance between its finished floor and the existing structure above to facilitate work which requires large vertical clearances. The General Module Shop is under the mezzanine. It has bridge crane coverage with a 20’ hook height and contains fixed equipment such as vertical and horizontal balancing machines, as well as large open spaces for flexibility and movable equipment and fixtures. The Fan Case Storage and Harness Shop are not located entirely under the new mezzanine and have direct access to the 25-ton bridge cranes with 30′ hook height. The Engine Assembly and Disassembly bays also have 25-ton bridge cranes that can be paired to vertically rotate the large engines. This project required coordination of multiple bridge cranes with various hook heights.
The facility also contributes to Delta’s positive corporate image at the airport through use of light, color and materials selected to improve employee comfort and productivity. The administrative functions required to support the Engine Shop are located on the mezzanine level and include open offices, conference rooms, and a break room with kitchenette. A series of glass walls located on the exterior of the offices and conference rooms allow for an unobstructed view of the engine maintenance activities taking place below on the ground floor. Other facility support areas include mechanical rooms, electrical rooms, janitorial spaces, and communications and IT rooms.
Made from metal curtainwall with a distinctive acid-etched pattern on the glass, the new 600’ by 60’ wall on the north face of the hangar offers clear views into and out of the space, as well as introduces diffused, natural light into the area. This open design showcases the superior work being performed by the technicians of Delta Air Lines Tech Ops and allows passengers to view operations as they taxi along the adjacent runway.