TP 14686E Study of Warm, Pre-Wetted Sanding Method at Airports in Norway Prepared for Transportation Development Centre of Transport Canada by Norwegian University of Science and Technology and National Research Council Canada March 2007 TP 14686E Study of Warm, Pre-Wetted Sanding Method at Airports in Norway by Alex Klein-Paste Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Nirmal K. Sinha National Research Council Canada March 2007 This report reflects the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Transportation Development Centre of Transport Canada or of Avinor. The Transportation Development Centre and Avinor do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear in this report only because they are essential to its objectives. Un sommaire français se trouve avant la table des matières. ii Transport Transports Canada Canada PUBLICATION DATA FORM 1. Transport Canada Publication No. 2. Project No. 3. Recipient’s Catalogue No. TP 14686E 5459 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Publication Date Study of Warm, Pre-Wetted Sanding Method at Airports in Norway March 2007 6. Performing Organization Document No. 7. Author(s) 8. Transport Canada File No. Alex Klein-Paste and Nirmal K. Sinha 2450-BP-01 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. PWGSC File No. Norwegian University of Institute for Aerospace Research MTB-3-00899 Science and Technology National Research Council Canada Høyskoleringen 7a M-13, 1200 Montreal Road 11. PWGSC or Transport Canada Contract No. 7491 Trondheim, Norway Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0R6 T8200-033517/001/MTB 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type of Publication and Period Covered Transportation Development Centre (TDC) Final 800 René Lévesque Blvd. West Suite 600 14. Project Officer Montreal, Quebec A. Boccanfuso H3B 1X9 15. Supplementary Notes (Funding programs, titles of related publications, etc.) Co-sponsored by Avinor (Oslo Airport), Norway 16. Abstract This report describes the study of a new sanding method that has been adopted at different Norwegian airports. The new method is based on wetting the sand with hot water before applying it onto the runway surface. It results in a sanding pattern where the particles are bonded to the surface, creating a sandpaper-like appearance. The aim of the study is to improve general knowledge about this warm, pre-wetted sanding method for airside and road applications. A diversity of aspects are addressed, such as its performance in practice, how and why it works, optimization, possible negative effects, and limitations. Data was collected during a six-week field study at three different airports and during a testing workshop for warm, pre-wetted sand spreaders. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement Warm pre-wetted sanding, freeze bonded sanding, sand Limited number of print copies available from the application, foreign object damage, friction measurements, Transportation Development Centre. Also available correlation, surface conditions reporting system, SNOWTAM online at www.tc.gc.ca/tdc/menu.htm 19. Security Classification (of this publication) 20. Security Classification (of this page) 21. Declassification 22. No. of 23. Price (date) Pages Unclassified Unclassified — xvii, 53, Shipping/ app. Handling CDT/TDC 79-005 Rev. 96 iii Transports Transport Canada Canada FORMULE DE DONNÉES POUR PUBLICATION 1. No de la publication de Transports Canada 2. No de l’étude 3. No de catalogue du destinataire TP 14686E 5459 4. Titre et sous-titre 5. Date de la publication Study of Warm, Pre-Wetted Sanding Method at Airports in Norway Mars 2007 6. No de document de l’organisme exécutant 7. Auteur(s) 8. No de dossier - Transports Canada Alex Klein-Paste et Nirmal K. Sinha 2450-BP-01 9. Nom et adresse de l’organisme exécutant 10. No de dossier - TPSGC Norwegian University of Institut de recherche aérospatiale MTB-3-00899 Science and Technology Conseil national de recherches Canada Høyskoleringen 7a M-13, 1200 chemin de Montréal 11. No de contrat - TPSGC ou Transports Canada 7491 Trondheim, Norway Ottawa (Ontario) Canada K1A 0R6 T8200-033517/001/MTB 12. Nom et adresse de l’organisme parrain 13. Genre de publication et période visée Centre de développement des transports (CDT) Final 800, boul. René-Lévesque Ouest Bureau 600 14. Agent de projet Montréal (Québec) A. Boccanfuso H3B 1X9 15. Remarques additionnelles (programmes de financement, titres de publications connexes, etc.) Coparrainé par Avinor (aéroport d’Oslo), Norvège 16. Résumé Ce rapport porte sur une nouvelle méthode de sablage des pistes utilisée à différents aéroports de Norvège, qui consiste à arroser le sable d’eau chaude avant de l’épandre. L’eau, en gelant, fait adhérer le sable à la surface, donnant à celle-ci l’apparence d’un papier abrasif. Le but de l’étude est d’enrichir les connaissances générales sur les applications aéroportuaires et routières de cette technique d’épandage de sable arrosé d’eau chaude. Une foule d’aspects sont abordés, comme l’efficacité de la méthode dans la pratique, comment et pourquoi elle fonctionne, son optimisation, ses effets néfastes possibles et ses limites. Des données ont été recueillies au cours d’une étude sur le terrain d’une durée de six semaines, menée à trois aéroports, et pendant un atelier d’essai sur les épandeurs de sable arrosé d’eau chaude. 17. Mots clés 18. Diffusion Épandage de sable arrosé d’eau chaude, sable lié par le gel, Le Centre de développement des transports dispose épandage de sable, dommage par corps étranger, mesure du d’un nombre limité d’exemplaires imprimés. Disponible frottement, corrélation, système de compte rendu de l’état de également en ligne à www.tc.gc.ca/cdt/menu.htm la surface des pistes, SNOWTAM 19. Classification de sécurité (de cette publication) 20. Classification de sécurité (de cette page) 21. Déclassification 22. Nombre 23. Prix (date) de pages Non classifiée Non classifiée — xvii, 53, Port et ann. manutention CDT/TDC 79-005 Rev. 96 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors wish to express their thanks to Knut Kristoffersen, Kirkenes Airport Høybuktmoen, and Ole Martinus Rambech, Svalbard Airport Longyearbyen, for the hospitality at these airports and their full support during the study. The authors also thank Capt. Odd Helge Wang for his arrangements and active cooperation at Bardufoss Air Force Base. Special thanks go to all runway maintenance personnel working at Kirkenes Airport, Svalbard Airport, and Bardufoss Air Force Base. Their willingness to share observations, experiences, ideas, and opinions was a vital contribution to the study. Special thanks also goes to test pilot LT. Hæfta, and winter maintenance officer Knut Ivar Morstøl for their assistance during the aircraft braking experiments. Øystein Hagen, Oslo Airport OSL, Torgeir Vaa, Sintef, and Erik Eriksen, Svalbard Airport Longyearbyen, are acknowledged for answering the many questions regarding the warm, pre-wetted sanding method. The authors are indebted to Armann Norheim, Oslo Airport OSL, Angelo Boccanfuso, Transportation Development Centre of Transport Canada, and Øystein Larsen, Norwegian Public Road Administration, for all the financial and practical arrangements that made this study possible. v vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A new sanding method has recently been adopted at several Norwegian airports. The method forms an additional tool for winter maintenance (snow and ice control) of compacted snow and ice contaminated runways, taxiways, and aprons. It is based on wetting the sand with hot water before it is applied onto the surface. The added water freezes and binds the sand to the surface. The spreading pattern differs from loose sand applications: the pre-wetted sand deposits in lumps of particles and water, rather than in individual particles. As the method becomes more regularly used, information is needed regarding the method itself: how and why it works, its performance in practice, optimization, possible negative effects, and limitations. A field study was conducted in the winter of 2005-2006 to find answers to these questions. The data collected during the field study included experiences from runway maintenance personnel, observations from an application on compacted snow, practical experiences regarding Foreign Object Damage (FOD), and an aircraft braking test on smooth ice treaded with the new method, in comparison with traditional loose sanding. The study also included a case study, where comments were investigated from pilots who indicated that the runway surface was slipperier than reported in the SNOWTAM reports. The study was primarily intended to provide information to airport operators and public road administrations who use, or are considering using this sanding method. The scope of the case study is wider and considers the issue of correlation between friction measurement devices and aircraft performance. The use of friction measurement devices as part of the runway surface conditions reporting system is discussed. Conclusions The warm, pre-wetted sanding method performs well at airports that operate under prolonged winter conditions. Maintenance personnel that have used the method for at least two winter seasons expressed a very positive general attitude toward the method. The main benefits are: (1) the durability of the result, (2) the larger increase in friction level after a sanding operation, and (3) reduction of sand that is blown to the sides of the runway by the engine thrust of operating aircraft. The latter benefit shows that the method not only improves the surface conditions in terms of friction level, but also in terms of robustness against air traffic. The robustness of a surface is an important operational quality factor. There are, however, some concerns regarding the new sanding method, especially with respect to the use of friction measurement devices to describe and report the runway surface conditions. Twelve pilot comments were received at two airports during one winter season, expressing that the runway was slipperier than reported. These comments were investigated as nine independent cases. vii In all cases, the measured friction coefficients were high, describing the surface conditions as “medium to good” or “good”.