Alaska F-22 maintainers get shelter from weather

  • Published
  • By Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  With temperatures dipping as low as 30 degrees below zero at Air Force Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, weather shelters for aircraft maintenance crews are a necessity.

Without these shelters, maintenance crews would be forced to take breaks to get out of the cold, resulting in up to a 33 percent drop in productivity, officials said. The Alaskan base averages 24 days per year below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, and 50 days per year that are below 15 degrees for part of the day. Officials said research shows the shelters can save the Air Force about $600,000 in lost labor costs per year.

Besides protecting Airmen from extreme temperatures, the shelters also protect aircraft and related support equipment. The shelters reduce or eliminate warm-up times, de-icing procedures and other cold-weather operations that would have to take place without shelter protection.

Project manager Brian Kang of the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment is managing construction of 30 weather shelters to house F-22 aircraft at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, with 15 on the northern side of the base and 15 on the southern side.

The team has had to overcome a variety of challenges associated with construction of the shelters, including modifying the exhaust fan system in the eight-bay facility on the northern side. Construction of the northern seven-bay shelter is due for completion in March 2011.

An alternative building approach was instituted for the bays on the southern end of the base. After extensive market research by the Air Force, project leaders concluded that using a pre-engineered metal building system would meet or exceed the requirement and level of quality needed to house the aircraft.

An unconventional approach was used for the two southern shelters by not installing a fan in the auxiliary power exhaust system. The system was mocked-up and tested with an aircraft in February 2010 and proved to work extremely well. Carbon monoxide levels were shown to be non-detectable, and temperatures were maintained at a comfortable 75-80 degrees at ground level. Thermal imaging showed almost the entire exhaust plume going up the exhaust duct.

The shelters include all necessary systems including aircraft power converters, power supply for ground equipment, wash capability in each bay, fall protection in each bay, white epoxy floor coating for improved lighting and durability, and a painted interior bay structure.

The seven- and eight-bay shelters in the south reached final completion on July 16, 2010, only 13 months after award. Both were completed within cost and at full scope.

In spite of some challenges faced during the projects, Mr. Kang said the benefits of these shelters to Airmen and aircraft validate their importance and demonstrate that innovative thinking and an "outside of the box" approach can result in design and structure improvements, as well as shorter construction times.