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Every fire requires three elements: heat, oxygen, and fuel. In aircraft hangars, the fuel leg is, by definition, a liquid (i.e., jet fuel). Legacy systems focus on heat or oxygen: Sprinklers cool the fire to reduce heat Foam systems create a barrier between fuel and...
Fuel on the floor is part of aircraft maintenance. Purge a line, pull a pump, or service an older fuel system, and some discharge is going to happen. The question is what cleanup costs you after it does. The manual routine means absorbent pads and drip pans, hand...
Flame activated systems wait until it’s too late. Legacy fire protection systems rely on flame detectors to trigger foam discharge. But flames mean ignition has already occurred. Line-of-sight requirements mean double coverage. Flame detectors need line-of-sight, so...
Is ILDFA more expensive than High Expansion Foam (HEF)? The answer is no, according to a new white paper that uses real-world, third-party HEF installation data from a super bay hangar retrofit at SFO airport. With all costs factored in, a parking spot ILDFA...
Comparing fire protection system costs across different configurations is straightforward in principle but depends heavily on variables that are rarely held constant between proposals: coverage area, layout approach, whether the installation is a retrofit or new...
Containment design for ILDFA systems generally follows one of seven established approaches outlined in the white paper. These approaches include underground containment tanks, oil-water separators, hybrid systems, and closed-loop recycling systems. Each approach has...
Modern fighter aircraft are no longer parked and idle. They are stored fully fueled, mission-ready, and expected to launch at a moment’s notice. In this environment, fire protection must be designed to prevent downtime, not to cause it. Traditional foam systems...
On paper, traditional hangar fire protection systems can appear cost-effective during initial design, but that upfront price often neglects ongoing maintenance costs and additional infrastructure outside of the hangar that are necessary to make these systems...
Two pump rooms. Two very different infrastructure philosophies. LEFT: Legacy FoamOn the left, a pump room for an existing hangar (25,000 sqft) where the foam system is being abandoned and ILDFA is being installed. This infrastructure, including concentrate tanks,...
When it comes to hangar fire protection, water infrastructure often drives the biggest costs.That reality leaves operators with a clear choice: spend thousands on water supply with ILDFA, or millions on water infrastructure with SFFF or high expansion foam. ILDFA...
Some smaller fire protection engineering firms still assure clients that water alone can control a jet-fuel spill fire, arguing that the rarity of hangar fires makes the risk acceptable. We consider this stance negligent and a breach of a fire protection engineer's...
Safespill is committed to supporting engineers and design teams worldwide. As ILDFA continues to expand internationally, we want to ensure stakeholders have access to clear and accurate technical documentation. The Safespill Design Guideline is now available in:...
Register for Our ILDFA Technical Webinar We invite you to a technical session focused on Layouts & Sizing for aircraft hangars installing Ignitable Liquid Drainage Floor Assembly (ILDFA). This educational session is designed for engineers, architects, designers, and...
https://youtu.be/gEMR5piqoeQ?si=ge5M1MxrumHJBNSv See For Yourself
To help design and estimating engineers provide their clients with accurate and complete cost assessments, Safespill has put together a cost comparison spreadsheet that highlights and line-items the true infrastructure investment requirements for...
In real-world aircraft maintenance, fuel ends up on the floor. Whether you’re purging a line, replacing a pump, or servicing an aging fuel system, some fuel discharge is inevitable. With ILDFA, the floor becomes a passive, always-ready containment system. No spill...
A clear, step-by-step path to delivering ILDFA — the most effective, environmentally safe fire protection for your new build or retrofit hangar. This flowchart shows end-users, engineering firms, hangar operators, and other stakeholders exactly what to expect — with...
Whether the hangar is 10,000 square feet or 400,000 square feet, ILDFA operates on a 200 GPM water supply. What this means for your project No utility upgrades and faster integration into existing infrastructure. A 3-inch line is typically sufficient and can connect...
Installations Every day a hangar is offline is a day of lost revenue. And yet, this is often overlooked when comparing ILDFA to legacy fire suppression systems. It’s not just about the capital expense — downtime during installation can have a greater financial impact...
#image_title We’ve published a new article titled "The Risk Assessment Loophole Undermining Aircraft Hangar Safety" by Kyle Giubbini, NFPA 409 Technical Committee Principal and Safespill’s Lead Product Engineer. This article dives deep into the misuse...
As the aviation industry shifts towards more sustainable practices, ILDFA stands out as the top-tier option for hangar fire protection with a trifecta of benefits: Safer for the environment, protecting ecosystems from harmful chemicals Safeguards aircraft by...
In retrofit projects, the best way to contract ILDFA is directly with Safespill. This approach ensures clear communication between the owner/end user and Safespill, allowing us to address any concerns of the aircraft maintainers working in the hangar. Contracting...
Ignited spill in "water only" hangar Ignited spill on ILDFA It is well known that water cannot extinguish a fuel fire. This is why NFPA 409 and FM Datasheet 7-93 require low level fire protection such as fire suppression foam systems or ILDFA in hangars in which...
Our July webinars offer a deep dive into ILDFA. Topics covered will include a detailed look at: ILDFA Hangar End User Webinar ILDFA Technical Webinar ILDFA Contracting & Installation Webinar Register here and share with anyone you think might benefit from this...
Safespill's ILDFA rapidly contained the fire, underscoring its critical role in safeguarding personnel and preventing the loss of valuable equipment, all while protecting the environment.
OIL AND FUEL SPILL SLIP RESISTANT TOP SURFACE We understand that small spills can happen and because ILDFA removes the large majority of a spill, greasy residue on the top surface may go unseen until wiped off. Safespill’s improved anti-slip top surface provides...
Safespill's ILDFA offers Environmentally safe hangar fire protection, but apart from protecting jets from fire, ease of daily operations for the people who keep the jets flying is equally important. Check out how we worked together with hangar operators to solve this...
If you want to learn how our Safespill floor works, check out this explainer video. Reach out to us if you want to learn about our solution, and how we can help keep your personnel, aircraft and equipment safe.
(Image courtesy of Army Corps of Engineers) By Thomas Gambino, PE, Founder of Prime Engineering, Inc. Tragedy struck Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) on January 8, 2014. A burst waterline in the AFB’s King Hangar accidentally triggered the hangar’s...