AIRCRAFT HANGARS
Environmentally Safe, Chemical-Free Fire Protection Systems
- NEW BUILD
- RETROFIT
HANGAR TYPE

The Safespill floor for hangars contains and removes ignitable liquid spills before developing into a pool fire. When a spill occurs, the liquid flows into the hollow floor profiles through specially machined drain holes on the top surface. The internal flushing and suction system then pumps the contained liquid into external containment.
BENEFITS
- Solution for new build and existing retrofit (military and commercial) hangars
- PFAS-free with no environmental risk because it is a 100% closed system, using only water
- 10 years warranty
- FM approved, under standard 6090
- Adopted in NFPA 409 2022 Edition as Ignitable Liquid Drainage Floor Assembly (ILDFA)
INSTALLATION
- On average 20-30 days, dependent on aircraft type, quantity, and hangar type and size
- Minimized downtime
- Solutions available to avoid cutting or modifying existing concrete substrate
- Safespill floors can be installed by local contractors
FEATURES
- Safespill floor is only needed to cover, on average, 65% of the hangar
- Safespill floors account for a spill from the edge of an aircraft fuel tank or engine (lateral discharge)
- Reference pg.14 of NFPA 409 Test Report for the Spill Area Map
- Aluminum-grade FOD screen is under all drain holes to prevent foreign object debris from entering the floor.

Power Requirements
- Centrifugal pumps to remove the spilled liquid
- 480V/460V for centrifugal pumps and 120V/110V for control panel
Water Requirements
(Not Fire Water)
- 180 GPM (max), including a booster pump or pressure reducer ensuring the correct pressure
- The Safespill floor is designed to utilize municipal water supply.
Weight Capacity
- A 9” x 16” Safespill floor area can handle 96,000 lbs. or 666 PSI

Spill Containment Tank
- Spilled liquid and flushing water need to be directed to temporary spill containment
- Tank capacity is driven by spill size and drain time.
Spill Containment Calculation Example for a Single B-52 Hangar
Worst Case Scenario (WCS)
Largest Potential Spill | 5,928 gallons | Based on aircraft’s largest fuel tank |
WCS Spill Flow Rate | 400 GPM | Based on a 4” valve failure or 4” puncture in diameter |
Drain Time | 5,928 / 400 | = 15 min. (Round up to 30 min. for WCS) |
WCS Flushing Water | 180 GPM / 30 min. | = 5,400 gallons |
∴ Spill Containment Tank | 11,328 gallons | Minimum tank capacity |

UL-142 Double-Wall 15,000-gal Steel Tank – Image shown for reference only.
- Safespill recommends a 15,000-gallon UL-142 double-wall horizontal steel tank, based on a conservative assessment in the above calculation.
- An Oil Water Separator (OWS) is included after the tank for best practices.
Safespill wrote a design guideline for an Ignitable Liquid Drainage Floor Assembly (ILDFA) to provide sufficient information for Architect & Engineering (A&E) firms without the need of detailed input by the ILDFA manufacturer.

For rotary wing aircraft, the Safespill floor can be designed with a larger floor footprint that allows for flexible aircraft parking. The three options below display Safespill floor configurations ideal for helicopters.
NEW BUILD
HANGAR TYPE
RECESSED
SAFESPILL FLOOR
The Safespill floor is recessed 2" within the concrete slab at the time of the hangar build.
RETROFIT
HANGAR TYPE
RECESSED BY MILLING
SAFESPILL FLOOR
The Safespill floor will be recessed 2" by milling down the concrete of the existing hangar slab.
RETROFIT
HANGAR TYPE
ON SLAB WITH RAMPS
SAFESPILL FLOOR
The Safespill floor will be installed directly onto the existing hangar slab with a 2" elevation and surrounding ramps.
Dropped Wing Tank Simulation
This test simulates what happens when a wing tank full of JP-4 drops and instantly releases ignited jet fuel onto the Safespill floor. Fuel is JP-4 equivalent, consisting of
66% kerosene and 33% gasoline.