AIRPORT ENGINEERING
1
CLASSIFICATION OF AIRPORT
• Classified by
– ICAO
– FAA
• Two types
– Based on runway length
– Based on ESWL
2
Based on runway length
Airport type Basic runway length(m) Width of runway Maximum
pavement (m) longitudinal
Maximum Minimum gradient(%)
A Over 2100 2100 45 1.5
B 2099 1500 45 1.5
C 1499 900 30 1.5
D 899 750 22.5 2.0
E 749 600 18 2.0
3
Based on ESWL
Code no: Single isolated wheel load Tyre pressure (kg/cm²)
(kg)
1 45000 8.5
2 34000 7.0
3 27000 7.0
4 20000 7.0
5 13000 6.0
6 7000 5.0
7 2000 2.5
4
Aircraft characteristics
• Type of propulsion
• Size of aircraft
• Minimum turning radius
• Minimum circling radius
• Speed of aircraft
• Capacity of aircraft
• Aircraft weight and wheel configuration
• Jet blast
• Fuel spillage
• Noise
5
6
PLAN 7
8
Site selection of airport
• Atmospheric and metrological conditions
• Availability of land for expansion
• Availability of utility from town
• Development in surrounding area
• Economy of construction
• Presence of other airports
• Regional plan
• Ground accessibility
• Soil characteristics
• Surrounding obstructions
• Topography
• Use of airport
9
RUNWAY ORIENTATION AND DESIGN
• HEAD WIND
– It indicates the wind from opposite direction of the
head or nose of the aircraft
VcosƟ
wind
Ɵ
VsinƟ
• CROSS WIND
– The component of wind normal to the runway centre
line is called cross wind component.
10
• WIND COVERAGE
– The percentage of time in a year during which cross wind
component remains within the limits
– small airports- 15kmph
– Medium airports- 25kmph
– Large airports- 35kmph
• CALM PERIOD
– The percentage of time during which wind intensity is less
than 6.4kmph
11
WIND ROSE DIAGRAM
• Wind data ie, direction , duration and
intensity are graphically represented.
• TYPES OF WRD
– Type I & Type II
12
TYPE I
• Shows direction
and duration of
wind
13
14
15
TYPE II
• Shows
direction,
duration and
intensity of
wind
16
BASIC RUNWAY LENGTH
• It based on the following assumed conditions
• Airport is situated at mean sea level
• Airport reference temperature is standard (150C)
• Runway is leveled in the longitudinal direction
• No wind is blowing on runway
• Aircraft is loaded to its full loading capacity
• No wind is blowing enroute to destination
• Enroute temperature is standard
17
• Performance characteristics of aircrafts considered:
– Normal landing case
– Normal takeoff case
– Stopping in emergency or engine failure case
18
19
20
21
CORRECTIONS TO BASIC RUNWAY
LENGTH
• CORRECTION FOR ELEVATION
– As per ICAO basic runway length should be increased
at the rate of 7% per 300m rise in elevation above the
MSL
• CORRECTION FOR TEMP
Airport reference temp(ART) =Tₐ+[(T m-Tₐ)/3]
Tₐ-mean of average daily temperature of the hottest
month of the year
Tm- mean of maximum daily temperature of the
hottest month of the year
Basic runway length should be increased at the rate of
1% for every 1⁰c rise in ART above standard
atmospheric temp at given elevation
22
• Standard atmospheric temp at given elevation
= (15-0.0065Xgiven elevation)
• CHECK FOR TOTAL CORRECTION IN ELEVATION
AND TEMP
– Total correction in elevation and temperature
should not exceed 35%
23
• CORRECTION FOR GRADIENT BY FAA
– Effective gradient - max difference in elevation
between highest and lowest runway points
divided by total runway length
– After doing corrections for elevation and temp ,
runway length is increased at the rate of 20% for
every 1% of effective gradient
24
ZONING LAWS
• It is related to establishment of legislation for the
restricted development of the area adjacent to
airport for safe air navigation
• Obstructions can be of two types;
– Objects protruding above certain imaginary surfaces
– Objects exceeding their limiting heights above ground
surface in approach zones and turning zones
25
Imaginary surfaces
• Types
– Take-off climb surface
– Approach surface
– Inner horizontal surface
– Conical surface
– Transitional surface
– Outer horizontal surface
26
TAKE-OFF CLIMB SURFACE 27
APPROACH SURFACE 28
29
30
31
APPROACH ZONE
• Clearance area
• Types
– RUNWAY CLEAR ZONE
– HIGHWAY AND RAILWAY CLEARANCES
32
33
34
35
TERMINAL BUILDING
• Terminal area
– Transition of passengers from ground to air
• Terminal building
– Key feature of terminal area
36
FACILITIES PROVIDED IN TERMINAL
BUILDING
• Passengers & baggage handling counters for
booking
• Banks with foreign exchange desks
• Enquiry counters
• Waiting hall for passengers
• Refreshment area
• Restaurant area
• Medical unit and first aid centre
• Space for customs,immigration,duty free shop etc
37
SITE SELECTION OF TERMINAL
BUILDING
• It should be centrally located wrt runway
• Convenient and easy access to highway
• Enough provision for future expansion
• Adequate space available for parking facilities
• Site should have easy facility to natural
drainage
• External utilities like water sewage and
telephone should be easily available
38
HANGARS
• It is to provide enclosure for housing and
repairing of the aircraft
39
HANGARS
• Two types;
– Nose hangars:- For bigger aircrafts
– T hangars:- For smaller aircrafts
Nose Hangar T Hangar
40
SITE LOCATION OF A HANGAR
• It should be connected with terminal building
and loading aprons
• It should be linked with essential utilities like
water supply ,
drainage ,electricity ,telephone ,etc
• It should have favourable topography with
good natural drainage
• It should not be along with the direction of
frequent wind storms
41
BLAST FENCES/JET BLAST DETECTOR
• Aircraft ejects hot exhaust gases at relatively
high velocities .If it is high as 300 kmph may
cause inconvenience .Airport equipment,
pavement etc are damaged due to jet blast.
• To grant protection from jet blast ,blast fences
are used
• Two types
– Single curved vane blast fences
– Multiple curved vane blast fences
42
Blast fences
43
44
TYPICAL AIRPORT LAYOUTS
45
46
APRON
• It’s a paved area for parking of aircrafts,
loading & unloading of passengers &cargo
• SIZE OF AN APRON
– Factors affecting
• Gate position
• Number of gates
• Aircraft parking system
47
• Gate position
– It is used to denote aircraft parking space
adjacent to a terminal building
– It depends on two factors
• Size of aircraft
• Types of parking / Airport parking configuration
– Nose in
– Angled nose in
– Nose out
– Angled nose out
– parallel
48
Airport parking configuration
49
50
• Number of Gates
– It depends on two factors
• Estimated peak hour volume:- The number of aircraft
to be handled during design hour. For a balanced
airport design volume should not exceed runway
capacity
• Gate occupancy time / ramp time:- The amount of time
for which an aircraft occupies a gate .It depends on the
size of aircraft .It is 40 -60 minutes
51
AIRCRAFT PARKING SYSTEM
• Frontal system
• Open apron system
• Pier or finger system
• Satellite system
52
Frontal system
53
Open-Apron system
54
Pier system
55
Satellite system
56
LOADING APRONS & HOLDING
APRONS
• Aeroplanes are berthed on the aprons before
they are loaded and unloaded ,hence the
loading apron is known as parking apron
• The portion of the paved area which is
provided adjacent to ends of runway in case
of busy airports is known as holding apron
57
58
TAXIWAY
• Access from runway to loading apron or
hangar and back
• Exit taxiway- for landing aircraft to leave the
runway as early as possible
59
AIRPORT MARKING
• These are provided for assisting the pilots in
guiding the aircraft on runways and taxiways
• Six types
– Runway marking
– Taxiway marking
– Runway & taxiway shoulder marking
– Apron marking
– Wind direction indicator
– Landing direction indicator
60
Runway markings
61
Taxiway markings
62
Airway aids
1. Air route surveillance radar
2. Air to ground communication
3. Airway beacon
4. Direction finder
5. Distance measuring equipment
6. Low/medium frequency radio range
7. Marker beacon
8. Tactical air navigation
9. Very high frequency omni-directional range
• Air route surveillance radar- time taken by
radio frequency pulse to leave antenna and
travel back as an echo indicates the distance
of target
• Air to ground communication-FSS and ARTCC
• Airway beacon- spaced 40km apart to guide
pilot from one airport to another
• Direction finder- 2 types
– Automatic direction finder(ADF)
– Radio direction finder(RDF)
• Distance measuring equipment(DME)-air
distance between aircraft and VOR station
• Low/medium frequency radio range-four
course radio range sends four radio beams
along four directions which may or may not
be at right angles
• Marker beacon- to find location on a given
course
• Tactical air navigation(TACN)-tactical needs
of military, ultra high frequency band,
measures azimuth and distance
• Very high frequency omni-directional range-
VOR stations send out radio signals in all
directions, VOR receiver in cockpit helps to
select desired route
LANDING AIDS
• Instrument Landing System(ILS)
• Precision Approach Radar(PAR)
• Airport Surveilliance Radar(ASR)
• Airport Surface Detection Equipment(ASDE)
• Approach lights
67
ILS
• It is the most widely used system of landing
• It helps guide an aircraft safely to the runway
• It consists of telecommunication aids to the pilot to enable
him to approach the runway and make a successful landing
under poor visibility conditions
• ILS consists of 3 components
– Localiser antenna:- It is a radio transmitter of very high
frequency omnidirectional [Link] emits radio beam signal in
vertical plane
– Guide slope antenna:- It is a radio transmitter of very high
frequency omnidirectional [Link] emits radio beam signal in
horizontal plane.
– Outer and middle markers:- These are small radio transmitters
which serve as position reporting points
68
Schematic diagram of ILS
69
• Precision Approach Radar(PAR)-gives picture
of descending aircraft- plan and elevation
• Airport Surveilliance Radar(ASR)- overall
picture of all aircrafts within an airspace
• Airport Surface Detection Equipment(ASDE)-
poor visibility, pictorial display of runways,
taxiways, terminal area
• Approach lights- to complete landing
successfully
71
72
AIRPORT LIGHTING
• Airport beacon
• Apron and hanger lighting
• Approach lighting
• Boundary lighting
• Lighting of landing and wind direction indicator
• Runway lighting
• Threshold lighting
• Taxiway lighting
73
General lighting pattern of an airport
74
75
76
77
78
