Hangar floors and apron slabs carry loads that ordinary warehouse concrete is not designed for, and the Loveland market asks for them because Northern Colorado Regional Airport sits on just over 1,000 acres about 5 miles northeast of the city. The field has an 8,500 ft by 100 ft main runway (15/33) and a crosswind runway (6/24), with roughly 85,000 to 95,000 takeoffs and landings per year. We build hangars, aviation-service shops, equipment storage and flex industrial space for owners who want to be near that activity, and we design the structure, the doors and the pavement for the aircraft and ground equipment they actually operate.
Away from the airfield, Loveland is a highway city. US 34 enters Loveland from Big Thompson Canyon as Eisenhower Boulevard, becomes a four-lane expressway and intersects I-25 and US 287 inside the city. That junction is why logistics, light manufacturing and service users look here, and why we spend early design time on truck circulation, entrance spacing and detention before we draw the building.
Hangars, aprons and aviation-service buildings
A hangar is a clear-span structure with a large door, and the door drives most of the engineering. We design the frame with a stiff header, a defined load path to the foundations and a slab edge that resists repeated wheel loads at the opening. For aircraft storage, the floor is sloped for drainage, sealed against fuel and oil, and sized for tug and tow loads. For maintenance shops, we add trench drains, compressed air and exhaust routing.
The aircraft hangar package includes the apron: reinforced concrete joints at the door, dowels across construction joints and edge details that prevent the slab from breaking under wheel loads. We confirm airport rules on height, setback and fire protection with the airport operator before design is final, because hangar fire suppression requirements can change the cost of a building significantly. Owners comparing the foothills side of the northern Front Range can also look at our work near Estes Park, where mountain access shapes every delivery.
Planning around the interchange and the flood record
Four days of heavy rain in September 2013 flooded Loveland along the Big Thompson River and closed roads, and sections of US 34 toward Estes Park collapsed. The event is a reminder that river corridors and canyon mouths can bring serious runoff, and we use it as a reason to check floodplain maps, drainage patterns and access routes for every parcel. We locate buildings above the design flood elevation, size stormwater detention for the full site and plan an access that works even if a nearby road is closed.
During construction we protect exposed soil, stage materials above the flood-prone areas and keep a weather plan: a trigger for sandbagging, covering stockpiles and pumping excavations. These controls cost little compared to the delay a flooded foundation excavation creates.
Centerra and the I-25 corridor
Centerra is a commercial hub at the I-25 and US 34 interchange, shared by Loveland and Johnstown, with shopping centers, a mall, a medical center and the Blue Arena. A district of that size draws service, supply and distribution businesses that need a nearby base, and industrial owners benefit from the daily traffic, labor pool and amenities. We plan buildings that serve those users: small-bay flex, light assembly and storage with strong highway access.
Owners comparing Johnstown and Loveland should look at the interchange, utilities and jurisdiction for each parcel, because both cities share parts of the Centerra area. We prepare the same scope outline for each so the difference in site conditions is clear. Owners who want to see how the same approach plays out farther north can look at Fort Collins, where the code edition and the campus-scale users are different but the method is the same.
Concrete, steel and site work we manage closely
We manage dock aprons and loading zones, heavy slabs and structural concrete, and we schedule and inspect the erection of pre-engineered and structural steel buildings. Managing the concrete closely lets us control joint layout, curing and finish, which matters most at hangar doors and dock aprons where traffic loads are concentrated.
Verification is built in: concrete cylinder breaks, slab thickness checks, flatness surveys where specified and a record of reinforcement placement. We deliver those records with the turnover package so the owner can refer to them if a question arises years later.
Sequencing airport-adjacent work
Airport-adjacent construction involves lead time for approvals and coordination. Crane operations may require notification, and pavement or apron work near the movement area may be limited to windows when aircraft are not operating. We include those restrictions in the schedule from the start, keep a log of coordination with the airport operator and avoid scheduling critical lifts in periods when approvals might be delayed.
For buildings outside the airport, the schedule centers on the permit and utility timeline. We submit utility requests early, order long-lead items on approval and phase site work so the building can start as soon as the pad is accepted. Owners looking at ecommerce fulfillment or similar users will find this sequence familiar, and we pair it with permitting coordination so that site plan, access and utility approvals move together.
Send the parcel and the aircraft list
Send the parcel, the aircraft or vehicle list and your schedule. We will return a hangar or shop concept, an apron and drainage scope and a coordination plan with the airport operator.
Common Questions
What is special about building a hangar near Northern Colorado Regional Airport?
The door opening, the clear span, fire protection and apron loads all drive the design. The airport has an 8,500 ft main runway and 85,000 to 95,000 operations per year, so rules on height, setbacks and crane use matter. We confirm them with the operator first.
How did the 2013 flood affect how you plan Loveland sites?
Four days of heavy rain in September 2013 flooded areas along the Big Thompson River and closed roads. We check floodplain maps and drainage, place buildings above flood elevation and plan access that does not depend on a single road.
Which highways serve industrial sites in Loveland?
US 34 becomes a four-lane expressway and intersects I-25 and US 287 inside the city. We design truck entrances and queuing for that network.
What is Centerra?
It is a commercial hub at the I-25 and US 34 interchange shared by Loveland and Johnstown, with shopping, a medical center and the Blue Arena. It generates demand for nearby service and distribution space.
Can you build both a hangar and a shop on one parcel?
Yes. We coordinate the two buildings under one site plan, with shared utilities and drainage, while each building has its own permit set and fire-protection design.
How do you protect a Loveland excavation from storm runoff?
We grade temporary berms, stage materials out of low areas, keep pumps available and watch the forecast during open excavation. If heavy rain is expected, we cover stockpiles and stop placing concrete until the subgrade is dry and accepted by the inspector. The cost of those precautions is small compared with the loss of a flooded foundation.