The NASA Langley Research Center contracted Burgess & Niple (B&N) to perform a code compliance assessment of the historic NASA Langley gantry. This 240-foot-tall steel A-frame structure was built for the Apollo program in the 1960s and has since been modified for full-scale impact testing of aircraft and spacecraft. B&N’s bridge team was tasked with ensuring the gantry’s readiness for new testing conditions as NASA prepares for the next stage of lunar exploration.
The gantry was inspected by B&N in 2024 to identify areas of deterioration and recommend repairs. As a result, NASA requested a structural analysis to determine whether the gantry could safely support the loads that would be induced by forthcoming lunar lander tests. Creating a 3D model of the gantry posed several challenges due to the massive size of the structure and the complexity of the intersecting space frames. Other challenges arose due to discrepancies between the original construction plans and field observations of the gantry. The team used photos and records collected during B&N’s inspection to ensure that the final model matched observed field conditions. With over 5,000 structural members, maintaining data accuracy was a major task that required the team to develop custom Excel-based macros to enable efficient input and verification of structural properties.
B&N’s structural analysis confirmed that all gantry members were code-compliant under operational loads and could safely handle the lunar lander tests as planned. The model developed by B&N was delivered to NASA for use in the evaluation of future loading conditions or modifications to the gantry.
In addition to ensuring the gantry’s safety and functionality, the successful evaluation demonstrated B&N’s expertise in structural engineering and capacity to support NASA in achieving its ambitious lunar exploration goals.