A floor to take off

Floors in the hangar of Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG

A floor to take off

When building a new maintenance hangar with an annexe, the aircraft manufacturer Pilatus (Stans/CH) attached great importance to floor coatings that fulfil all the individual requirements of the demanding use. In close consultation with StoCretec (Kriftel/D), coatings with clearly defined performance priorities were used that were tailored to the purpose. Criteria included chemical and mechanical resistance, bridging of cracks, slip-resistance and electrical conductivity.

Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG is a leading producer of single-engine turboprop aircraft. The company has now realised the construction of an impressive new maintenance hangar in Buochs (in the central Swiss canton of Nidwalden) as well as a directly connected three-storey outbuilding. For the planning of the buildings, the client once again relied on its tried-and-tested collaboration with Strüby Konzept AG from Seewen, Switzerland.

Solutions had to be developed for the different demands placed on the floors of the modern halls and rooms. Whether electrically conductive, highly chemically resistant, wear-resistant or UV-resistant: StoCretec had the right floor coating system to suit the requirements. The StoCretec OS 8 traffic surface system StoFloor Traffic DV 100 was used for the total of around 8,000 square metres of floor area in the aircraft service areas. The system solution for floor slabs has proven its suitability for rising damp. StoFloor Traffic DV 100 is slip-resistant and resistant to strong chemical attack from oils, fuel or salt, for example. A sealing coat of StoPur DV 508 ensures that the floor coating is UV-resistant, particularly in the entrance and frequently opened gate zones.

In the maintenance areas for the highly sensitive aircraft mechatronics, the experienced planning office opted for the volume-conductive StoFloor ESD KU 614 coating system, which ensures that the sensitive building elements are not damaged by electrostatic discharge. It fulfils all current electrostatic discharge standards and is mechanically resistant. The electrical conductivity of the epoxy resin coating StoPox KU 614 is almost independent of the relative moisture. This means that even at a low humidity of 12 per cent, the requirements of the current electrostatic discharge standards for electrical conductivity are perfectly met. The epoxy resin, which is available in numerous colour shades, is not only functionally impressive. The absence of carbon fibres results in a homogeneous appearance and also enables light colour shades. The system also offers very good levelling properties and low coverage. No additional sealing coat is required. This saves time during installation.

For the 1,100 square metres of the mechanical workshops, the team of experts opted for StoFloor Traffic Elastic EZ 500. The OS 11a surface protection system offers increased bridging of cracks, is wear-resistant and highly resistant to chemicals. It protects the building fabric against the penetration of water and pollutants dissolved in it.

The basement also houses electroplating workshops. The team of experts chose StoFloor Industry Elastic WHG Deck 100 as a precautionary measure to protect the groundwater from pollutants from the electroplating process. The coating system is highly bridging of cracks and has a very high chemical resistance to a wide range of media.

Construction panel Brisen hangar, Buochs, CH
Client: Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG, Stans, CH
Overall performance: Strüby Konzept AG, Seewen, CH
Application: Marti Bauunternehmungen AG, Lucerne, CH
Application: 2025

StoCretec competences:
StoFloor Traffic DV 100
StoFloor ESD KU 614
StoFloor Traffic Elastic EZ 500
StoFloor Industry Elastic WHG Deck 100