Donna Speidel, President, Donna Speidel, President, Sightline Airport Marking Consultants Sightline Airport Marking Consultants

Planning and Design Planning and Design forfor

Airfield MarkingsAirfield MarkingsMarch 3, 2011

34th Annual Airports Conference

Sightline, LC (Airport Marking Consultants)is the author of the

Airfield Marking Handbook.

The project was administered by the Innovative Pavement Research Foundation under a Cooperative Research Agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration

Objectives of the handbookObjectives of the handbook

2. What constitutes a “quality” marking?2. What constitutes a “quality” marking?

3. When is a marking functional and when 3. When is a marking functional and when is it “unsafe”?is it “unsafe”?

4. What is a good application v. a poor one?4. What is a good application v. a poor one?

1.1. What can be done to increase the life-cycleWhat can be done to increase the life-cycleof airfield markings?of airfield markings?

Handbook ContentsHandbook Contents

2. Materials Commonly Used.2. Materials Commonly Used.

3. Surface Preparation.3. Surface Preparation.

4. Pavement Marking Removal.4. Pavement Marking Removal.

1.1. Specification Development for Specification Development for Construction and Maintenance.Construction and Maintenance.

5. Application Procedures.5. Application Procedures.

6. Inspection.6. Inspection.

7. Certification of Applicators.7. Certification of Applicators.

Chapter 2 – Project DesignChapter 2 – Project Design

1.1. New Airfield Markings. New Airfield Markings.

Project SpecificationsProject Specifications

Two basic project types:

2. Maintenance of Existing Markings.2. Maintenance of Existing Markings.

1.1. Assess environment for Assess environment for material selection. material selection.

New Airfield MarkingsNew Airfield Markings

2. Determine type of equipment 2. Determine type of equipment

required. required. 3. Quality control plan. 3. Quality control plan.

Address stages of Address stages of work. work.

1.1. Assess environment for material Assess environment for material selection. selection.

New Airfield MarkingsNew Airfield Markings

b. Hot, dry, high UV exposure.b. Hot, dry, high UV exposure.

c. Cold, wet. c. Cold, wet.

d. Freezing, snow, d. Freezing, snow, ice. ice.

f. Rust deposits.f. Rust deposits.

g. Heavy aircraft, old aircraft, g. Heavy aircraft, old aircraft, amount of traffic, nighttime amount of traffic, nighttime operations.operations.

e. Time of year for marking e. Time of year for marking application.application.

a. Warm, humid, damp. a. Warm, humid, damp.

1.1. Assess environment for material Assess environment for material selection. selection.

New Airfield MarkingsNew Airfield Markings

2. Determine type of equipment required. 2. Determine type of equipment required.

a. Size of project. a. Size of project.

b. Type of markings. b. Type of markings.

c. Type of surface preparation c. Type of surface preparation needed.needed.

d. Degree of paint removal d. Degree of paint removal required.required.

e. Schedule requirements for e. Schedule requirements for project.project.

1.1. Assess environment for material Assess environment for material selection. selection.

New Airfield MarkingsNew Airfield Markings

2. Determine type of equipment required. 2. Determine type of equipment required.

3. Quality control 3. Quality control plan. plan.

Address stages of Address stages of work: work:

a. Material certification and a. Material certification and testing. testing.

b. Material/equipment calibration and test b. Material/equipment calibration and test strips.strips.

c. Surface Preparation and/or Paint c. Surface Preparation and/or Paint Removal. Removal.

d. Application. d. Application.

e. Inspection. e. Inspection.

MarkingsMarkings

If a sign is unlit or broken, it If a sign is unlit or broken, it gets replaced.gets replaced.

If a taxiway light is malfunctioning, If a taxiway light is malfunctioning, it gets fixed.it gets fixed.

But how do you know when the But how do you know when the markings aremarkings are

“broken”?“broken”?

Maintenance of Existing MarkingsMaintenance of Existing Markings

SignsSigns

LightsLights

2. Design scope of work.

1. Visit the airport to assess (audit) current conditions.

Maintenance of Existing Markings.

3. Determine surface preparation or marking removal

requirements. 4. Specify the right materials for the

environment.5. Develop budgetary estimate.

Only fix what’s broken.

Airport Marking Audit

Develop three-year maintenance plan.

Marking Condition Index (MCI©)

Compliance

Visibility (Effectiveness) Durability (Longevity)

Develop tailored specifications for each phase.

Develop budgetary estimates.

FAA Call to ActionFAA Call to Action

Quality Application = “enhanced”

All the efforts to increase visibility with black borders, glass beads and new designs are futile if markings are not applied well, and it begins with concise specifications and GOOD inspection techniques.

Enhanced airfield markings

Need for Performance CriteriaNeed for Performance Criteria

Reflectivity levels at installation.

Specify results to be achieved.

Clean surface.

Degree of removal (if any).

AC 150/5370-10E

Minimum criteria

“Uniform”

(Appendix A)

Marking SystemMarking System

Good Inspection

Quality Glass Beads

Quality Application

Quality CoatingSurface Preparation

Improved Industry Standard

Proper surface preparation is first step toward quality markings.

Paint removal should be specified at a degree of removal relative to the purpose for removal. Materials should be selected based on the airport needs and environment. Higher performance standards must be implemented.

Tailor specifications to airport environment.

Certification of personnel applying airfield markings must become a standard.

Maintenance criteria must be established.

Markings must be recognized for the measure of safety they can provide.

Attention to the details of application must be enforced.

Improved Industry Standard

www.sightline.us

Airfield Marking Symposiums:Dallas, TX – May 9-11, 2011Boston, MA – July 11-13, 2011Reno, NV – Sep 12-14, 2011Kansas City, MO – Oct 18-20, 2011