Pilatus Flugzeugwerke takes off with EGGER wood-based materials

At a time when wood construction technology is developing rapidly and structural steel is getting more and more expensive, wood is becoming a serious competitor for steel even when it comes to large-scale production facilities. This is even the case in areas where steel could be expected to have the advantage. For example, Bürli AG as the general contractor constructed a new aircraft assembly hangar made entirely from wood for Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG in Stans. All of the wood-based materials were supplied by EGGER.
 
Planned by the Scheitlin-Syfrig+Partner architecture office, the new hangar is home to two complete assembly lines under one (wood frame) roof. It was inaugurated in May 2008 after just 13 months of construction with the corresponding office building opened in July. Pilatus invested a total of CHF 27 million in the new building. The wood frame structure was fabricated by the German company Stephan Holzleimbau from Gaildorf in Germany while the wall, ceiling and roof elements were supplied by the local companies Holzbautechnik Burch AG from Sarnen and Hector Egger Holzbau AG from Langenthal.

Pilatus has been building aircraft since the 1940s and, in the meantime, has made a name for itself as the largest fabricator and supplier of single-engine propeller airplanes in the world. The company is the only Swiss manufacturer to offer airplanes and training systems developed and built in-house. Pilatus airplanes are used for the purpose of pilot training by various air forces around the world and also as company aircraft by companies and aid organisations, so for example the Pilatus PC-12 which is the top-selling business airplane in the world today. The Swiss aircraft producer maintains branches in Altenrhein, Broomfield (USA) and Adelaide (Australia). With 1,100 employees at the head office in Stans alone, Pilatus is one of the largest industrial enterprises in central Switzerland. 
Hangar with more than 12,000 m² (129,167 square feet) of useable space

On the exterior walls, the wood construction companies executing the project used EUROSTRAND® OSB 4 TOP boards for sheathing on inside and EGGER DHF boards on the outside. A key factor for the use of the OSB 4 TOP boards is the ability to use calculation values for fasteners according to the Z-9.1-566 certification, which permits a load transfer direct to the OSB. As a vapour-permeable, reinforcing and load-bearing exterior wall sheathing, EGGER DHF fulfils the function of a second water deflection layer. Thanks to the nail grid printed on the boards at the plant, it is also quick and simple to install. This saves time and minimises costs. A special conical tongue and groove profile on all four sides means the joints between the boards are also wind-proof. Both EGGER DHF and OSB boards are available in coordinated formats and thicknesses. Naturally, the long span and related high static load on the structure also translate into extremely high requirements for the materials that were used, especially when (as in the current case) the binder elements in the roof alone weigh 75 tons. Here the construction companies worked with ribbed base plate elements made of EUROSTRAND® OSB 4 TOP in the roof and hollow box girder elements made of EUROSTRAND® OSB 8000 in the ceiling. The wood construction companies also used OSB 4 TOP for the interior walls, supplemented by drywall in some cases for fire protection reasons. The decorative appearance of the EGGER OSB boards with their distinctive wood character proved highly suitable for the interior design. Thanks to their closed, particularly bright and virtually blueness-free surface and long, thin strands, they can also be used as cladding and decorative flooring boards.

Implemented by

• 16.000 m² EUROSTRAND® OSB 4 TOP
• 9.000 m² EUROSTRAND® OSB 8000
• 3.500 m² EGGER DHF

Implemented by

• Architect: Scheitlin-Syfrig+Partner architecture office
• Fabricator: Stephan Holzleimbau from Gaildorf (DE), Holzbautechnik Burch AG from Sarnen (CH) and Hector Egger Holzbau AG from Langenthal (CH)