CIVE 461 TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

INTRODUCTION TO PLANNING AND DESIGN

OF AIRPORT FACILITIES

Lecture 2
Thursday, May 10, 2012
 Previous Lecture

Introduction

Airport Components and System

Airport Site Selection

Runway Configuration

Lecture 2

Runway Orientation

Aircraft Characteristics

Estimation of Runway Length

The airfield shall be designed to accommodate the ground movement
of the aircraft.

Four Main Aircraft Characteristics

Aircraft Size

Aircraft Turning Radii

Aircraft Weight

Aircraft Payload and Range Relationship

Aircraft Size
Aircraft is made of:

Body (Fuselage)

Wings

Tail

Two Gears support

the aircraft for its
ground/surface
movement:

Nose Gear

Main Gear
(Undercarriage)

Fuselage Length

Wingspan

Wheelbase

Undercarriage Width

Tail Height
A380-800 Dimensions

14.34 m

34.8 m

A380-800 can carry 555 passengers on board

A320-200 Dimensions

A320-200 can carry 150 passengers on board

Influence of Aircraft Size on Airfield Elements

Width of runway / taxiway is influenced by the design aircraft

wingspan and main gear width

The separation distances between runway/taxiway, taxiway/taxiway &

taxiway/object are influenced by the design aircraft wingspan

Pavement widening at taxiway intersections (known as fillet design) is

influenced by the design aircraft main gear width and wheelbase

The size of the parking apron (width and depth) and configuration of
terminal building is influenced by the design aircraft wingspan and
fuselage length
Turning Radii

Turning radii are function of nose
gear steering angle. The larger the
steering angle, the smaller the
turning radius
Steering angle

The rotation of the aircraft creates
◦
a number of radii originating from
90
the center of rotation to the wingtip,
nose gear, cockpit and tail

Turning radii are determined from

the Centre of Rotation of the
Aircraft

Minimum turning radii are not very

often used

Desirable steering angles between

45◦ and 50 ◦
Aircraft Weight
The aircraft weight is important for determining:

The thickness of runway, taxiway and apron pavement section

The take-off and landing runway length

The basic components which make up the weight of an aircraft during

take-off and landing are:

Operating Empty Weight (OEW): (excluding the payload & fuel)

Payload: the weight of passengers & their baggage, mail & cargo

Maximum Structural Payload: is the maximum payload the aircraft
is certified to carry

Maximum Ramp Weight: is the maximum authorized weight for
ground manoeuvre including taxi and run up fuel

Maximum Structural Take-off Weight (MSTOW): is the maximum
weight authorized at brake release for take-off

Maximum Structural Landing Weight (MSLW): is the maximum
authorized weight for landing and is less than the MSTOW
On Take-Off
Aircraft Weight = OEW + Payload + Trip Fuel + Reserve
Fuel
Or
Aircraft Weight = Landing Weight + Trip Fuel
The take-off weight cannot exceed the MSTOW

On Landing (Assuming that the aircraft is not diverted to an alternate

airport)
Aircraft Weight = OEW + Payload + Reserve Fuel
The landing weight cannot exceed the MSLW
General Airplane Characteristics Data
A380-800 Model
Payload and Range

Payload: Is the revenue generating weight and includes the

weight of passengers and their luggage, mail and cargo

Range: Is the distance that the aircraft can fly without stop
also known as the stage length

Range is influenced by Payload

As the range is increased, the payload is decreased with a

weight tradeoff between the fuel to fly to the destination and
the payload which can be carried
 Payload/Range
ISA Conditions – GP 7270 Engines
A380-861 Model

Pa A, range at max. payload

Pb B, range at
max. fuel

Ra Rb C, ferry range
Point A (Pa,Ra)

The range at maximum structural payload

The aircraft takes off at its MSTOW

Fuel tanks are not completely filled

Point B (Pb,Rb)

The range at maximum fuel

Fuel tanks are completely filled

The aircraft takes off at its MSTOW

To extend travel from Ra to Rb, the payload is reduced in favor of
adding more fuel

Point C (0,Rc)(Ferry Range)

The maximum distance that an aircraft can fly without any payload

The maximum amount of fuel is necessary

The take-off weight is less than the maximum
As the range is increased, the proportion of trip fuel to take-off
weight increases while the proportion of payload decreases

Average Distribution of Weight Components for PAX. Aircraft, as a % of

Take-off Weight
Aircraft Range Operating Payload Trip Fuel Fuel Reserve
Empty
Weight
(OEW)
Short Range 66 24 6 4
Medium Range 59 16 21 4
Long Range 44 10 42 5
Wide Body Aircraft Characteristics
Narrow Body Aircraft Characteristics
Estimation of Runway Length

Factors Influencing Runway Length:

Environmental Characteristics
 Weather particularly temperature and surface wind

Site conditions at the airport

 Airport location notably airport elevation and the presence of
physical obstacles in the general vicinity of the airport
 Runway characteristics such as slope and runway surface
condition (wet or dry pavement)

Performance characteristics of the “critical” aircraft

 Weight of the aircraft on take-off or on landing
 Settings of its lift – or drag – increasing devices (e.g. wing flaps)
 Stage length (non-stop distance) to be flown referred to as
Range
Runway Length Estimation Using ICAO Correction
Factors

 The “Critical” aircraft expected to use the airport

(aircraft with the longest runway performance
characteristics)

 The Aerodrome Reference Temperature (the mean

maximum daily temperature of the hottest month of the
year where the hottest month being that which has the
highest monthly mean temperature)

 The Aerodrome Elevation (the highest point on an

airport’s usable runway expressed in meters above
mean sea level (MSL)
Determine the Actual Runway Length in three stages

Stage 1: Estimate Runway Length required for Take-Off

Stage 2: Estimate Runway Length required for Landing
Stage 3: Reconciliation of Take-Off and Landing Runway
Length

Runway Length is usually more dependent on Take-Off

Characteristics rather than on Landing characteristics of the
aircraft
Stage 1: Estimate Runway Length required for Take-Off

Step 1: Select a basic length (reference field length) (L) for

the runway to meet the take-off operational requirements of
the critical airplane for which the runway is intended;

Basic Length: Runway length at international standard

atmosphere (ISA), sea level, standard temperature, zero
wind and zero slope.
 Take-Off Weight Limitation
ISA Conditions – GP 7270 Engines
A380-861 Model
Step 2: Increase the basic runway length at the rate of
7% per 300 meters elevation;

L1 = (0.07*E/300)*L+L
L1 = Length Corrected for Altitude
E = Aerodrome Elevation
L = Basic runway length
Step 3: Further increase the runway length determined in
step 2 at the rate of 1% for every 1°C by which the
aerodrome reference temperature exceeds the temperature
in the standard atmosphere ISA for the aerodrome
elevation;

L2 = 0.01*L1*(T-T1)+L1
L2 = Length Corrected for Altitude and Temperature
ISA = Temperature in International Standard Atmosphere
T = Aerodrome Reference Temperature
T1 = Adjusted Temperature in Standard Atmosphere for E
(get T1 from ICAO Doc 9157, Part 1, chapter 3, Table 3-1)

The total correction for elevation and temperature shall not exceed 35%
of basic runway length
Step 4: The length calculated in step 3 is further
increased at the rate of 10% for each 1% of the runway
slope;

L3 = (0.1*G*L2)+L2
L3 = Runway Length Corrected for Altitude, Temperature
and Gradient
G = Average Runway Slope
Stage 2: Estimate Runway Length required for Landing

Step 1: Select a basic length (L) for the runway to meet the
landing operational requirements of the critical airplane;

Step 2: Increase the basic runway length at the rate of 7%

per 300 meters elevation;

Stage 3: Take-Off and landing Runway Length

Reconciliation

Choose the largest

Landing Field Length
All Engines
A380-800 Models
A word on the Correction Factors Method

A Simplistic Rule of Thumb

Use this method for planning purposes where data on

aeroplanes for which the runway is intended are not
known