Doha airport uses latest technology.

(From Gulf Construction)

Doha One of the world's largest aircraft hangars currently under construction at Doha International Airport has recently completed an engineering feat with the raising of the roof using unique arch-shaping technology known as 'stress erection'

The flat roof of the $18 million facility, to be used for the maintenance of Qatar Airways aircraft, was assembled in a horizontal position at ground level before being raised during a 10-hour procedure that involved no cranes - just a series of cables and hydraulic jacks, says a company spokesman

The technology - known as 'stressed arch' - involved 144 thick steel cables encased in long tubes tugged at the structure, forcing six trusses to move inwards up to 20 m and shaping the flat roof to slowly form an arch

The first section of the curved roof covering an area of 155 m by 60 m was raised in a five-hour operation in March. The second section measuring 155 m by 72 m was raised in a similar time frame last month. On completion, the hangar will be the biggest of its kind featuring stretched arch technology, says the spokesman

Construction work on the project began in June 2004 and is scheduled for completion over the next two months. When fully complete, the hangar will measure 155 m in length, 135 m wide and 35 m high at its highest point

The stretched arch technology was developed by Strarch, an Australian company that specialises in large clear span building structures using mainly structural steel in unique ways