2-879-126 - Historic England Archive/Heritage Images

Heathrow Airport, BEA Servicing Hangar, Heathrow, Hillingdon, London, 15/12/1970. The BEA aircraft servicing hangar at Heathrow Airport during construction, showing the roof supported on octagonal columns and lattice girders of the partially constructed west wall. In October 1969 Laing announced that its Industrial Engineering Branch had been awarded a contract for construction of an aircraft servicing hangar for British European Airways at Heathrow Airport. It was the company’s second major contract at Heathrow, following the completion of the BEA and BOAC cargo terminal. The hangar was designed to accommodate new airbus jets and existing aircraft. The roof was built on the ground and was raised by British Lift Slab, using hydraulic jacks, over 8 days in November 1970. Once at a height of 20.5m, the roof was supported by octagonal columns, the bases of which had been sunk into 75ft shafts. Braithwaite engineers manufactured the steelwork for the columns and roof.