CIVE 461 TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

INTRODUCTION TO PLANNING AND DESIGN

OF AIRPORT FACILITIES

Lecture 4
Thursday, May 17, 2012
 Previous Lectures

Introduction

Airport Components and System

Airport Site Selection

Runway Configuration and Orientation

Aircraft Characteristics

Estimation of Runway Length (Using ICAO Corrections Factors)

Estimation of Runway Length (Declared Distances)

Lecture 4

Airfield Geometric Design

Terminal Area Configuration and Sizing

Terminal Area Configuration

Types of Aprons

Apron Configuration

Apron Size
The passenger terminal area comprises the passenger buildings and
the aprons

An Apron includes Ramps (aircraft stands) and aircraft circulation and

taxiing areas

Types of Aprons
 Passenger aprons
 Cargo aprons
 Service and hangar aprons
 General aviation aprons

Passenger building stands:

 Contact stands (served by passenger loading bridges)
 Remote stands
Aprons Configuration

Simple Concept: is applied at low traffic volume airports

¯ Aircraft are usually parked angled either nose in or nose out for self taxi-
in/taxi-out
¯ Sufficient space shall be considered between the aircraft and the airside
terminal frontage to reduce the adverse effect of jet engine blast

Linear Concept: is an advanced stage of the simple concept

¯ Aircraft can be parked at an angled or parallel parking configuration

¯ Nose in/push back parking with minimum clearance between apron edge
and terminal is more common
¯ It is preferable to provide double apron taxiways to lessen the impact of
push back at busy airports
¯ The space between the terminal and apron is used for circulation of apron
traffic
¯ The area around the nose is used for ground service equipment parking

Pier (Finger) Concept: There are several variations of this concept
according to the shape of the pier.

¯ Aircraft can be parked at gate positions on both sides of the pier

¯ When there are two or more piers, care must be taken to provide proper
space between them
¯ If each pier serves a large number of gates, it may be necessary to
provide double taxiways between piers to avoid conflicts between aircraft
entering and leaving the gate position

Satellite Concept: Consists of a satellite unit surrounded by aircraft
gate positions separated from the terminal

¯ The access from the terminal to the satellite is normally via an

underground or elevated corridor to best utilize the apron space, it can
also be on the surface
¯ Depending on the shape of the satellite the aircraft can be parked radial,
parallel or any other configuration around the satellite
¯ Disadvantage is the difficulty of incremental expansion, other unit is to be
built

Midfield Concourses: are major facilities located away from the
passenger terminal and usually separated by major taxiways

¯ They come in two major shapes linear and X shape

¯ Aircraft can park on both sides of the concourse
¯ Provide a large number of aircraft parking stands
¯ Good for airports serving as transfer hubs

Transporters: or open remote apron

¯ Advantages: can be located near runways thus providing shorter taxiing

distances. Aprons can be easily expanded.
¯ Disadvantage: transporting passengers, baggage and cargo will take
relatively longer distances by transporters (mobile lounges/busses). Can
create traffic congestion problems on the airside.

Hybrid: is a combination of more than one of the mentioned
concepts

¯ It is common to combine the transporter option with one of the other

options
Apron Size

Important factors in determining the apron size:

 The size and maneuverability characteristics (nose gear steering +
wheel base) of the aircraft using the apron
 Volume of traffic using the apron/number of gates
 Aircraft clearance requirements
 Basic terminal layout or other airport use
 Taxiways and service roads

Aircraft Clearance Requirements

Code Letter Clearance Distance on Aircraft Stand, m
A 3.0
B 3.0
C 4.5
D 7.5
E 7.5
F 7.5
Type of ingress and egress to the aircraft stand
 Taxi-in/taxi-out (angled nose-in parking), large gate area

 Taxi-in/taxi-out (angled nose-out parking), large gate area,

breakaway jet blast and noise pointed towards the building
 Taxi-in/taxi-out (parallel parking)(large gate area)

 Taxi-in/push-out (most commonly used at busy airports, smallest

gate area)
Ground Service