News

Built to last – historic building to get new roof

  • Published
  • By Brian Shreve
  • Robins Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  As historic as it is gargantuan, Bldg. 125 was obviously built to last.  

Now, for the first time since its construction in 1942, a major project that will replace the aircraft maintenance hangar's entire roof is underway - an effort that could take as long as five years.  

Standing 101 feet tall, the colossal structure happens to be Robins' largest building, with a rooftop measuring more than 500,000 square feet, which explains the enormity of the project and the lengthy timeframe, said Jerry Thovson, base project manager.

"Part of it is the sheer size," he said. "And we can only close one dock at a time. We need to get it completely re-roofed with new fire suppression and a new fire alarm. Personnel will be shifted between the docks, but the main administration areas will not be affected. So, it's a matter of making sure the user stays in production."

The hangar is the work station of nearly 1,000 employees, representing a significant portion of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex workforce.  

Each of the building's four, 65,000-square-foot docks will be closed for 10 months at a time, with another two months allowed for re-occupancy of the renovated area and vacating of the next dock in order, said Thovson.  

Dock 2 is currently closed for re-painting, and the first roof work should begin during the next few weeks when materials arrive. Because of the work sequence, and to maintain a consistent color, material for the whole roof must be delivered simultaneously. Project preparation began in June with initial set-up and paint removal.

"The roof panels should start coming off by Thanksgiving," said Thovson. "That's when it's really going to get exciting. We're going to be taking the roof off completely, and to maintain schedule, they're going to be moving pretty fast."

An Atlanta-based company has been hired for the project, which is being managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The cost is estimated at $56 million.  

Before deliveries begin, an area that includes 40 parking spaces is scheduled to be closed and secured starting Oct. 31. There will be some base traffic impact as the project moves toward the south side of the building, though no plans regarding that have been finalized.