Shelby Airport Hangar

Project Description

The Shelby Airport Hangar is a 100’ x 80’ clear-span, insulated pre-engineered metal building constructed with tapered built-up steel frames, and clad in metal roof and wall panels. Aircraft access is provided through a large electric bi-fold door. This revenue-generating hangar is sited on prime apron frontage, and provides storage and shelter from the elements for either a single large “premium” aircraft, or multiple smaller aircraft.

The building has a concrete foundation and footings engineered to resist the code-prescribed gravity and lateral loads imparted by the pre-engineered metal building, with a concrete floor and exterior concrete slab connecting to the apron. The building is fully insulated and heated with overhead radiant heating. Design of the hangar included building appropriate localized drainage slopes and ditch lines to direct surface water around and away from the hangar. Due to the total fuel capacity of all stored aircraft exceeding 1600 gallons, the Current Fire Code required installation of a fire suppression system (FSS). 

Project Details​

Client

Shelby Airport

Location

Shelby, Montana

Westside Interceptor

Project Description

The City of Kalispell, in partnership with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality – State Revolving Loan Program, developed an 8.25-mile long sewer interceptor along the west side of Kalispell. The design team examined potential alignments and design considerations for the new infrastructure. The new sewer interceptor generally followed existing city streets and rights-of-ways in the southern most segment, and then crossed BNSF railroad and US Highway 93 – Alternate (Bypass) to the west side of US Highway 93 Alternate. From here, the sewer interceptor followed existing rights-of-ways and crossed private properties to the northernmost termination near US Highway 93 North and Reserve Street. The sewer interceptor crossed both Ashley and Spring Creeks (floodplain development permits), US Highway 2 and Three Mile Drive (bore and jack casings) and included several Horizontal Directional Drills (forcemains). RPA provided professional civil engineering and land surveying services to the City of Kalispell and was the Prime Consultant for this important sewer interceptor project. Specific services provided included: Preferred Route Assessment, land and topographic surveying, right-of-way acquisition, design services, funding assistance, and construction administration.

Project Details​

Client

City of Kalispell

Location

Kalispell, Montana

Missoula CTSP

Project Description

RPA was chosen to develop the Missoula Area Community Transportation Safety Plan (CTSP) for the Missoula MPO. The CTSP serves as a guide for addressing Missoula’s regional transportation issues, overall travel, and most importantly, traffic safety for all modes of transportation. Current safety concerns were addressed through innovative and practical strategies which incorporate the Four E’s of Safety (engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency services). The CTSP was developed in coordination with the Transportation Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) which is comprised of City, County, State, and non-government representatives with an acute interest in safety in the Missoula area. The effort also included extensive public and stakeholder outreach to understand transportation concerns and needs. The CTSP included a detailed analysis of past safety trends, considered effectiveness of previously employed safety strategies, incorporated meaningful input from citizens, stakeholders, and local officials, and provided a comprehensive implementation framework for achieving Missoula’s safety goals. The CTSP included an in-depth review of multiple years of crash data for the entire community to identify crash trends, clusters, and other safety concerns. Over 10,000 crashes were evaluated for this effort. The analysis resulted in a data-driven review of existing crash trends, high-risk behaviors, and crash clusters. Included in the CTSP are recommendations for short-, mid-, and long-term strategies for addressing transportation safety concerns in the Missoula area while considering sustainability, resource availability, and funding constraints.

Project Details​

Client

Missoula MPO

Location

Missoula, Montana

Silos Master Plan

Project Description

Master plan to assess site and user needs, evaluate development alternatives, and identify a recommended alternative for improvements to site amenities and infrastructure at this recreation area located on the southwestern shore of Canyon Ferry Reservoir in Broadwater County, Montana. The planning effort involved review of related management agreements, evaluation of site facilities and usage characteristics including a feature inventory and an overview of visitation and economic impact, and analysis of the physical environment. After defining needs and objectives for the site, a range of alternatives was evaluated, including phasing, airport considerations, and various entry configurations. Through public, stakeholder, and steering committee input, a final conceptual site layout was developed to address primary access roadways, bay improvements, event and day use sites, overnight RV and tent camping accommodations, utilities, parking areas, trails, ADA accommodations, and amenities such as a visitor center and camper services. Schematic design drawings, cost estimates, potential funding opportunities, and management and policy considerations were also outlined in the plan to assist with future implementation. The planning process was guided by representatives from the Broadwater County Commission and Planning Department, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Broadwater County Trust Board and Airport Board, and the Citizens Action Group for the Silos Recreation Area.

Project Details​

Client

Broadwater County

Location

Broadwater County, Montana

Helena Shooting Range

Project Description

RPA partnered with Slate Architecture to complete a site and building design for a new state-of-the-art indoor shooting range in Helena, Montana. The project consists of a single story, 105ft x 62ft indoor gun range facility constructed of load bearing cast-in-place concrete walls using insulated concrete forming (ICF) systems and premanufactured, metal plated wood trusses. The site civil work included a new parking lot, sidewalk and ADA compliance, site grading and drainage, onsite stormwater, and water and sewer services.

KEY PROJECT ELEMENTS

  • 6,510 square feet

Project Details​

Client

Range 406

Location

Helena, Montana

Architect

Slate Architecture

Bryant School

Project Description

As a subconsultant to Mosaic Architecture, RPA provided civil engineering services for the new Bryant School in Helena. Design and construction of the new 50,000 square foot school building and 12,000 square foot gymnasium building was coordinated and completed without removing the existing school building that is located on the same site. RPA’s services included site and legal survey, civil/site design and traffic engineering. Construction of the new school was completed in August 2019, in time for the 2019-2020 school year.

KEY PROJECT ELEMENTS

  • On-Site Storm Water Retention and Treatment
  • Accessible Site Design
  • Paved Parking Areas
  • Site Utilities
  • Traffic Impact Study

Project Details​

Location

Helena, Montana

Architect

Mosaic Architecture

Ennis Big Sky Airport

Project Description

Ennis Big Sky Airport is open and fully operational following completion of their $15.3M major airport improvement project(s) to expand their runway to meet FAA required safety upgrades for their substantial use aircraft grouping.  Improvements included land acquisition, full reconstruction of their existing runway, widening the runway to 100’ width, lengthening their runway to 7,600’ total length, constructing a 50’ wide full length parallel taxiway (shifted away from the runway), reconstruction of their south apron, construction of hangar access taxilanes, major electrical and navigational aid improvements, major drainage improvements, and wildlife fencing.  

Robert Peccia and Associates was the engineer for all improvements, and SK Construction was the prime contractor for the construction project. 

Key Information:

  • Land acquisition – 11 different parcels were acquired from 11 different landowners.  In addition 4 construction easements / permits were attained
  • Earthwork – Nearly 1.2M cubic yards – enough to bury a football field 675’ deep
  • Drainage / Culverts – over one mile of storm drainage culverts (5,528’) – largest culvert was 60” diameter so you could walk through it hunched over
  • Gravel – Nearly 60,000 CY of subbase and base course gravels
  • Asphalt – Over 38,000 tons of asphalt (1,300 truckloads)
  • Paint – over 43,600 square feet of paint
  • Lights – 284 runway and taxiway lights and an additional 22 lighted guidance signs
  • Cable – over 61,000’ of electrical cable (11.6 miles)
  • Fence – over 26,400’ of fencing (5 miles) and 29 gates

Project Details​

Client

Ennis Big Sky Airport

Location

Ennis, Montana

Flying H Hangar

Project Description

The aircraft storage hangar was designed to provide superior thermal performance and
sustainability compared to conventional manufactured metal framed hangars of similar size. The hangar is 100ft x 100ft, with 30ft tall side walls. Structural insulated panel (SIPs) construction was utilized for the walls and roof. The SIP roof panels are supported with steel open-web bar joists. Both the roof joists and SIP walls are supported by glued-laminated timber columns. The layout of SIP supports was intended to greatly reduce panel manufacturing waste and use the largest size panel pieces. Most panel sizes utilized were 8ft wide x 24ft long, corresponding to the SIP panel manufacturing dimensional limits. The SIP manufacturer exclaimed that they have never done such a large SIP building with such little waste.

The lateral force resisting system is comprised of SIP shear walls on three sides, with a steel truss moment frame at the hangar door endwall. The endwall was designed to accommodate a 90ft wide x 27ft tall pivoting hydraulic hangar door.

Project Details​

Client

Flying H Hangar

Location

Bozeman, Montana

Central Elementary School

Project Description

As a subconsultant to SMA Architects, RPA provided civil, site and landscape design services for the new Central Elementary School in Helena, Montana. The site posed significant grading challenges, due to an elevation change of nearly 30 feet across the 3-acre site. The design team incorporated site walls and variable building finished floor elevations to ensure usable and accessible exterior spaces. Construction of the new school was completed in August 2019, in time for the 2019- 2020 school year.

Project Details​

Location

Helena, Montana

Architect

SMA Architects