Westover Tail Enclosure

Chicopee, Massachusetts

This project consists of a bi-parting mobile tail enclosure structure constructed at the Westover Air Reserve Base. Currently, the tail portion of the C-5 airplanes will not fit into the existing hangar buildings due to the overall plane length and tail height. However, maintenance on the tail portion of C-5 airplanes is required throughout the calendar year. The tail enclosure structure will be used to encapsulate the tail portion of the C-5 planes in order to facilitate maintenance activities without exposing workers to the harsh winter climate. We provided the structural engineering design for the tail enclosure structures. The tail enclosures were constructed with structural steel framing and have a lateral force resisting system consisting of steel braced frames. The design of the structural system of the tail enclosure complied with the 2009 International Building Code (IBC) and considered both the “open” and “closed” positions for the enclosure structure.