Hangar floors must survive what no other industrial slab encounters: Skydrol hydraulic fluid, jet fuel spills, tow tractor point loads, and winter de-icing chemistry. Portland Concrete installs urethane and aviation-spec epoxy systems engineered for these exact conditions, with slab prep and joint detail built for aircraft operations. Free written estimate on every project.
Why Aviation Hangar Floors Demand a Different Approach
Skydrol hydraulic fluid is the primary driver. It chemically attacks standard epoxy coatings and causes rapid failure. Jet fuel and avgas add secondary exposure. De-icing fluids in Portland winters introduce glycol-based chemistry that standard industrial coatings cannot withstand. A single system must resist all three simultaneously, which is why urethane cement or aviation-rated epoxy becomes the only viable choice.
Load patterns in hangars are also distinct. Tow tractors with small hard wheels create concentrated point loads at every turn and push point. Aircraft themselves distribute weight across multiple gear positions, but the tow equipment often becomes the worst-case scenario. We design the slab and coating thickness to handle tow tractor abuse, which means aircraft loads are automatically covered.
How Hangar Floor Coating Gets Installed in Portland
Map the chemical profile
We interview maintenance staff to identify every fluid the hangar encounters: Jet A or avgas, Skydrol type and frequency, hydraulic fluid brands, de-icing products used in winter, and spill cleanup methods. This profile determines the exact coating system.
Grind and remediate the slab
The concrete is diamond-ground to the coating prep spec. Any zones with prior fuel or hydraulic contamination are identified and remediated, sometimes requiring removal and replacement of the top layer. Cracks are routed and filled with high-strength bonded repair material.
Apply the matched system
Urethane cement or aviation-rated epoxy is applied at the engineered thickness. Slip-resistant aggregate is broadcast into the wet coating in high-traffic areas. The system cures under controlled conditions to achieve full chemical resistance.
Finish joints and document
Control joints receive chemical-resistant semi-rigid filler rated for the same aviation fluids. The topcoat seals the system. We provide written documentation of the chemical-resistance rating for facility compliance files and audits.
Load engineering
Tow Tractor Loads: The Hidden Worst Case
Most hangar floor specs focus on aircraft weight. The tow tractor that moves aircraft in and out is often overlooked, yet it creates the most severe load case. Small hard wheels concentrate substantial weight at every turn point and push position. We engineer the coating and slab for tow tractor loads as the design worst case, which automatically ensures the floor survives lighter aircraft loads.
Coordinate the hangar floor with apron and taxiway work outside the hangar door. The entire aircraft hangar facility benefits from integrated planning.
Skydrol resistance, tow tractor loads, joint fillers and aviation compliance.
Aviation chemicals (especially Skydrol) attack standard epoxy systems aggressively. Combined with tow tractor point loads and aircraft tire contact patches, the spec has to match a unique exposure profile that other commercial floors do not see.
If the hangar handles aircraft with Skydrol hydraulic systems (most modern commercial and many corporate), yes. Skydrol-rated urethane cement is the typical answer; the wrong system dissolves quickly under Skydrol contact.
Glycol-based de-icing fluids are part of the chemical exposure profile in Portland hangars. We spec the system for those alongside the aviation hydraulics so winter operations do not degrade the floor.
Yes, the joint filler has to be chemical-resistant to the same aviation fluids the coating handles. Standard polyurea filler can degrade under Skydrol; we use chemical-resistant variants in aviation environments.
A typical hangar takes a week or two from prep through cure, with the hangar offline during the work. Larger MRO facilities stretch to multi-week phased installs. The schedule is built around maintenance operations.
Client reviews
What Portland Operations Say About Their Hangar Floors
Skydrol-rated urethane install in our maintenance hangar. Three years of regular hydraulic spills, zero coating failure at any spill point. Worth the spec premium over standard epoxy.
Z. A5
FBO Manager, Portland Airport
★★★★★
Engineered for our tow tractor loads, not just aircraft loads. The coating has held perfectly at every tow turn point, where the previous floor had failed within months.
Y. A5
MRO Operations, Vancouver
★★★★★
Coordinated install during a scheduled maintenance downtime. Hangar offline only for the cure window, back in service on schedule. Real coordination with operations.
Q. A5
Corporate Hangar Owner, Hillsboro
★★★★★
Documented chemical-resistance rating for our facility compliance file. Auditor accepted without questions. The documentation matters in aviation.
X. A5
Aviation Facility Director, Gresham
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