CIVE 461 TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

INTRODUCTION TO PLANNING AND DESIGN

OF AIRPORT FACILITIES

Lecture 5
Tuesday, May 22, 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)

Airfield Geometric Design

Terminal Area Configuration and Sizing

Apron Capacity

Lecture 5

Aerodrome Safeguarding
Aerodrome Safeguarding

Developments in close proximity to airports must adhere to specific

criteria called Aerodrome Safeguarding

The purpose of Aerodrome Safeguarding is to take the measures

necessary to ensure:

 Safety of aircraft while taking off or landing, or while flying in the

vicinity of the Airport
 Safety of the passengers and crews onboard
Safeguarding is achieved by:

Protect the block of air through which aircraft fly, by preventing
penetration of safeguarded surfaces;

Protect the integrity of radar and other electronic aids to air
navigation, by preventing reflections and diffractions of the radio
signals involved;

Protect visual aids, such as approach and runway lighting, by
preventing them from being obscured, or preventing the installation of
other lights which could be confused for them;

Avoid any increase in the risk to aircraft of a birdstrike by preventing
an increase in hazardous bird species in the vicinity of the Airport.

ICAO has established a series of Obstacle Limitation Surfaces to
ensure the safety of operations of the aircraft in the airspace in the
immediate vicinity of the airport and to prevent the aerodrome from
becoming restricted due to airspace limitations.

These surfaces define the limits to which objects may project into
airspace. They protect approaches to runways, take-offs and missed
approaches (balked landings) from obstructions.

Objects penetrating these surfaces are considered Obstacles to air

navigation and should be removed whenever possible.
ICAO Single Runway OLS
The OLS as defined by ICAO are as follows:

Runway Strip: It is an area, extending on either side of the runway

and its ends, protected to avoid any types of obstructions in the event
of an aircraft running off the runway.

Approach Surface: Is an inclined plane or combination of planes

preceding the threshold. It defines the volume of airspace to be kept
free of obstacles to protect an airplane in the final phase of the
approach to land. In planar view the approach surface is trapezoidal.
It consists of three sections depending on the runway code number.
Each section has a specified length and divergence angle.
Precision Approach Code 3 or 4 Runways
ICAO Table 4.1: Dimensions and Slopes of Obstacle Limitation
Surfaces – Approach Runways

Transitional Surface: Is an inclined surface along the side of the
runway strip and part of the approach surface that slopes upward and
outward to the inner horizontal surface. Along with the inner
horizontal surface is the controlling OLS surface for buildings.

Outer Horizontal: Is a surface intended to reduce/eliminate the

operational problems that may arise from the erection of tall
structures in the vicinity of the airport within a radius of 15,000m.

Inner Horizontal: Is a surface located in a horizontal plane above an

aerodrome and its environs. Its purpose is to protect the airspace for
visual circling prior to landing.

Conical Surface: Extends from the outer periphery of the inner

horizontal surface up to a specified height above the inner horizontal
depending on the runway classification.
ICAO Table 4.1: Dimensions and Slopes of Obstacle Limitation
Surfaces – Approach Runways

Take Off Climb: Is a fan shaped inclined plane intended to prevent
obstructions to the paths of departing aircraft near a runway.

ICAO Table 4.1: Dimensions and Slopes of Obstacle Limitation

Surfaces – Approach Runways
Code 3 or 4 Take-Off Runways
Obstacle Free Zone (OFZ)

Inner Transitional Surface: is the controlling OLS for navigational

aids, aircraft and other vehicles required to be nearby the runway and
which is not penetrated except with frangible objects. It is similar to
the transitional surface but closer to the runway.

Inner Approach: Is defined for precision approach runways only. The

inner approach is a rectangular portion of the approach surface
preceding the threshold.

Balked Landing: Is defined for precision approach runways only. It is

needed to abort landing. It is an inclined plane located at a specified
distance after the runway threshold, extending within the inner
transitional surface. It provides an obstacle free volume of airspace at
the back end of the approach runway.
ICAO Precision Approach Runways Obstacle Free Zone (OFZ)
ICAO Table 4.1: Dimensions and Slopes of Obstacle Limitation
Surfaces – Approach Runways