At the end of May, Schwarzmann carried out a test assembly of the largest roof truss in the company’s history at its production site in Polhov Gradec, Slovenia.
The truss is part of the structure for an aircraft hangar at Brnik Airport. In its first phase, the hangar will span 47.7 meters in width and 69 meters in length. In the second phase, the client plans to increase the width to an impressive 72 meters. The structure was therefore designed from the outset to accommodate this expansion. Once extended, the hangar will enable Solinair, an aviation company providing both air transport and aircraft maintenance, to service Airbus A330 aircraft.
The client visited the production facilities in Polhov Gradec and expressed satisfaction with the progress and execution following a thorough review of Schwarzmann’s completed work, quality control, organisation, and technology.
Schwarzmann was awarded the project due to its extensive experience in designing and constructing hangars and was involved from the earliest planning stages. Projects of this magnitude require several years of preparation and collaboration among experts from various fields, including air traffic control and installation engineering. This will be the company’s seventh aircraft hangar, with previous projects located at airports in Ljubljana, Vienna, Graz, Berlin, Zagreb, and Banja Luka.
Preparatory work is already underway at the construction site in anticipation of the hangar assembly. Due to the complex conditions at the airport, Schwarzmann’s team of engineers and fitters conducted a test lift of the steel structure to simulate the final on-site assembly.
The purpose of the test was to assess the mechanical behaviour of the truss during lifting, verify precision in fabrication, and confirm whether the actual deflection aligns with calculated values. All bolts must be tightened to a specific torque to ensure the designed load-bearing capacity.
The beam consists of 33 components, measuring 47.58 meters in width and 4.9 meters in height. The total weight is 19,837 kg, of which 585 kg is made up by bolts alone. The heaviest bolt, an M48x160, weighs 5.2 kg.
The actual hoist at the airport will be particularly challenging, with minimal space and a strict schedule to adhere to, in line with stringent airport safety regulations related to operations near the runway and control tower.
The test successfully confirmed the readiness of both the structure and the installation team. Summer is the busiest time for construction—alongside the aircraft hangar, five other sites are currently active. With an annual output of 40 to 50 buildings, Schwarzmann team is ready to do the heavy lifting!