Advisory Circular
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Advisory U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Circular Administration Subject: Change 8 to AIRPORT DESIGN Date: 9/30/04 AC No: 150/5300-13 Initiated by: AAS-100 Change: 8 1. PURPOSE. This Change removes the Precision system in lieu of a portion of the traditional RSA as Object Free Area (POFA) and establishes the Precision overrun protection. Also, revisions to Appendix 2 allow Obstacle Free Zone (POFZ). Standards for the Runway greater flexibility in threshold siting criteria. Safety Area (RSA) have been changed to reflect a shorter dimension required prior to the runway threshold, and to 2. CHANGED TEXT. Changed text is indicated by a allow for the provision of an Engineered Materials vertical bar in the margins. New pages that do not Arresting System (EMAS) or other approved arresting contain changes have only changed due to repagination. PAGE CONTROL CHART Remove Pages Dated Insert Pages Dated 21 and 22 10/01/02 21 10/01/02 23 11/10/94 22 – 26 9/30/04 24 and 25 10/01/02 26 9/30/00 31 11/10/94 31 11/10/94 32 9/30/00 32 9/30/04 101 – 104 10/01/02 101 10/01/02 102 – 104 9/30/04 291 and 292 9/30/00 291 9/30/00 293 and 294 10/01/02 292 - 294 9/30/04 David L. Bennett Director of Airport Safety and Standards 10/1/02 AC 150/5300-13 CHG 7 Chapter 3. RUNWAY DESIGN 300. INTRODUCTION. This chapter presents standards a. Design Standards. The runway safety area shall be: for runways and runway associated elements such as shoulders, blast pads, runway safety areas, obstacle free (1) cleared and graded and have no zones (OFZ), object free areas (OFA), clearways, and potentially hazardous ruts, humps, depressions, or other stopways. Tables 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3 present the standard surface variations; widths and lengths for runway and runway-associated elements. Also included are design standards and (2) drained by grading or storm sewers to recommendations for rescue and firefighting access roads. prevent water accumulation; At new airports, the RSA and ROFA lengths and the RPZ location standards are tied to runway ends. At existing (3) capable, under dry conditions, of constrained airports, these criteria may, on a case-by-case supporting snow removal equipment, aircraft rescue and basis, be applied with respect to declared distances ends. firefighting equipment, and the occasional passage of See appendix 14. aircraft without causing structural damage to the aircraft; and 301. RUNWAY LENGTH. AC 150/5325-4 and (4) free of objects, except for objects that airplane flight manuals provide guidance on runway lengths need to be located in the runway safety area because of their for airport design, including declared distance lengths. The function. Objects higher than 3 inches (7.6 cm) above grade computer program cited in appendix 11 may be used to should be constructed, to the extent practicable, on low determine the recommended runway length for airport impact resistant supports (frangible mounted structures) of design. the lowest practical height with the frangible point no higher than 3 inches (7.6 cm) above grade. Other objects, such as 302. RUNWAY WIDTH. Tables 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3 manholes, should be constructed at grade. In no case should present runway width standards that consider operations their height exceed 3 inches (7.6 cm) above grade. conducted during reduced visibility. b. Construction Standards. Compaction of 303. RUNWAY SHOULDERS. Runway shoulders runway safety areas shall be to FAA specification P-152 provide resistance to blast erosion and accommodate the found in AC 150/5370-10. passage of maintenance and emergency equipment and the occasional passage of an airplane veering from the runway. c. Sub-standard RSAs. RSA standards cannot be Tables 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3 present runway shoulder width modified or waived like other airport design standards. The standards. A natural surface, e.g., turf, normally reduces the dimensional standards remain in effect regardless of the possibility of soil erosion and engine ingestion of foreign presence of natural or man-made objects or surface objects. Soil with turf not suitable for this purpose requires conditions that might create a hazard to aircraft that leave the a stabilized or low cost paved surface. Refer to chapter 8 for runway surface. Facilities, including NAVAIDs, that would further discussion. Figure 3-1 depicts runway shoulders. not normally be permitted in an RSA should not be installed inside the standard RSA dimensions even when the RSA 304. RUNWAY BLAST PAD. Runway blast pads does not meet standards in other respects. A continuous provide blast erosion protection beyond runway ends. Tables evaluation of all practicable alternatives for improving each 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3 contain the standard length and width for sub-standard RSA is required until it meets all standards for blast pads for takeoff operations requiring blast erosion grade, compaction, and object frangibility. FAA Order control. Refer to chapter 8 for further discussion. Figure 3- 5200.8, Runway Safety Area Program, explains the process 1 depicts runway blast pads. for conducting this evaluation. Each FAA regional Airports division manager has a written determination of the best 305. RUNWAY SAFETY AREA (RSA). The runway practicable alternative(s) for improving each RSA. safety area is centered on the runway centerline. Tables 3-1, Therefore, runway and RSA improvement projects must 3-2, and 3-3 present runway safety area dimensional comply with the determination of the FAA regional Airports standards. Figure 3-1 depicts the runway safety area. division manager. Appendix 8 discusses the runway safety area's evolution. 21 AC 150/5300-13 CHG 8 9/30/04 d. Threshold Displacement. Incremental (1) For runways serving small airplanes improvements that involve the displacement of a landing exclusively: threshold need to be carefully planned so that they do not (a) 300 feet (90 m) for runways with incur unnecessary costs or create situations that could lower than 3/4-statute mile (1 200 m) approach visibility compromise operational safety. minimums. (b) 250 feet (75 m) for other runways (1) Runway thresholds that are displaced serving small airplanes with approach speeds of 50 knots or temporarily pending the planned relocation of objects (such more. as Localizer antennas) should consider the extra costs associated with re-arranging the runway lights, approach (c) 120 feet (36 m) for other runways lights and navigational aids. serving small airplanes with approach speeds of less than 50 knots. (2) The displacement of a threshold that does not also include relocation of the lead-in taxiway can (2) For runways serving large airplanes, 400 create an undesirable and confusing operating environment feet (120 m). for the pilot. (See paragraph 204.) b. Inner-approach OFZ. The inner-approach e. Allowance for Navigational Aids. The RSA is OFZ is a defined volume of airspace centered on the intended to enhance the margin of safety for landing or approach area. It applies only to runways with an approach departing aircraft. Accordingly, the design of an RSA must lighting system. The inner-approach OFZ begins 200 feet account for navigational aids that might impact the (60 m) from the runway threshold at the same elevation as effectiveness of the RSA: the runway threshold and extends 200 feet (60 m) beyond the last light unit in the approach lighting system. Its width (1) RSA grades sometimes require approach lights is the same as the runway OFZ and rises at a slope of to be mounted on massive towers that could create a hazard 50 (horizontal) to 1 (vertical) from its beginning. for aircraft. Therefore, consider any practicable RSA construction to a less demanding grade than the standard c. Inner-transitional OFZ. The inner-transitional grade to avoid the need for massive structures. OFZ is a defined volume of airspace along the sides of the runway OFZ and inner-approach OFZ. It applies only to (2) Instrument landing system (ILS) facilities runways with lower than 3/4-statute mile (1 200 m) (glide slopes and localizers) are not usually required to be approach visibility minimums. located inside the RSA. However, they do require a graded area around the antenna. (See chapter 6 for more (1) For runways serving small airplanes information on the siting of ILS facilities.) RSA exclusively, the inner-transitional OFZ slopes 3 (horizontal) construction that ends abruptly in a precipitous drop-off can to 1 (vertical) out from the edges of the runway OFZ and result in design proposals where the facility is located inside inner-approach OFZ to a height of 150 feet (45 m) above the the RSA. Therefore, consider any practicable RSA established airport elevation. construction beyond the standard dimensions that could accommodate ILS facilities if and when they are installed. (2) For runways serving large airplanes, separate inner-transitional OFZ criteria apply for Category 306. OBSTACLE FREE ZONE (OFZ). The OFZ (CAT) I and CAT II/III runways. clearing standard precludes taxiing and parked airplanes and object penetrations, except for frangible visual NAVAIDs (a) For CAT I runways, the inner- that need to be located in the OFZ because of their function. transitional OFZ begins at the edges of the runway OFZ and The runway OFZ and, when applicable, the precision OFZ, inner-approach OFZ, then rises vertically for a height "H", the inner-approach OFZ, and the inner-transitional OFZ and then slopes 6 (horizontal) to 1 (vertical) out to a height comprise the obstacle free zone (OFZ). Figures 3-2, 3-3, 3- of 150 feet (45 m) above the established airport elevation.