CE-363

Lecture 7: Runway Geometric

Dr. Ankit Gupta, Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
National Institute of Technology Hamirpur
Lecture Outline
Runway Geometric
Runway Width
Transverse Grade
Longitudinal Grade
Rate of change of Longitudinal Grade
Sight Distance Requirements
Runway Geometric
Length of runway
Width of runway strip
Sight Distance
Longitudinal and Effective Gradient
Rate of Change of Longitudinal Gradient
Transverse Gradient
Safety Area
Runway Geometric
Runway Length:
Basic runway length depends up on the category
in which the aircraft falls as per ICAO
classification
This length is modified for elevation, temperature
and gradient correction

Runway Geometric
Airport Reference Code
This is a coding system used to relate the airport
design criteria to the operational and physical
characteristics of the aircraft intended to operate
at the airport.
This is based up on the aircraft approach category
and the airplane design group

Runway Geometric
Airport Reference Code
Airplane design group is a grouping of aircraft
based up on wingspan.
Aircraft approach category is determined by the
aircraft approach speed, which is defined as 1.33
times the stall speed in the landing configuration
of aircraft at the maximum certified landing weight
Runway Geometric
Airport Reference Code

Aircraft Aircraft Airplane design Aircraft
approach approach Group wingspan,m
category speed, kn
A < 91 I < 14.85
B 91 - 121 II 14.85 -23.93
C 121 - 141 III 23.93 -35.75
D 141 -166 IV 35.75 -51.81
E > = 166 V 51.81 -64.85
VI 64.85 -79.39
Runway Geometric
Runway length requirements for various aircraft

Aircraft Runway length, m

Small airplanes with < 10 passenger seats
75% of fleet 750
95% of fleet 920
100% of fleet 1090

Small airplanes with 10 or more 1270
passenger seats
Runway Geometric
Runway length requirements for various aircraft

Aircraft Runway length, m

Large airplanes of 60000 lb or less
75% of fleet at 60% useful load 1615
75% of fleet at 90% useful load 2135
100% of fleet at 60% useful load 1680
100% of fleet at 90% useful load 2379
Runway Geometric
Runway length requirements for various aircraft

Aircraft Runway length, m

Large airplanes of more than 60000 lb
stage length of 1600 km 1815
stage length of 3200 km 2318
stage length of 4800 km 2730
stage length of 9600 km 3416
Runway Geometric
Runway Width:
Depends upon the type of airport and largest
aircraft in operation
In case of large aircraft, the central 30m width of
the runway pavement is observed to take more
concentrated air-traffic load
Also, it requires additional space on the two sides
of this 30 m width so as to protect the possible
damage to the farthest machinery i.e. engines
from ingestion of loose material of shoulders
Runway Geometric
Runway Width:
As per ICAO (in meters)
Code Letter
Code Number A B C D E
1 18 18 23 - -
2 23 23 30 - -
3 30 30 30 45 -
4 - - 45 45 45
Runway Geometric
Runway Width:
In case of code number 1 and 2, if precision
runway is used then width should not be less than
30 m.
Width of 45m is sufficient for large airports.
Runway Geometric
Sight Distance
Generally no sight distance restrictions as the
longitudinal gradients for the runway are quite gentle.
Hazardous locations are crossings of two runways or
runway and taxiway
Adherence to runway longitudinal gradient standards
provides adequate line of sight
Runway Geometric
Sight Distance

Airport category Y (meter) X
ICAO code letter A 1.5 half runway length
ICAO code letter B 2.1 Half runway length
ICAO code letter C, 3.0 Half runway length
D, E
Runway Geometric
Sight Distance
Runway grade should be such that any two points
Y meters above runway centreline will be mutually
visible for a minimum distance of X
Runway Geometric
Runway Gradient
Longitudinal and Effective gradient
The longitudinal gradient of runway increases the
required runway length
It also affects the aircraft performance
These should be as flat as possible to avoid
excessive engine thrust
ICAO limits the maximum longitudinal gradient to
1.25 to 1.5 percent for runways that serve the
largest type of aircraft
Runway Geometric
Runway Gradient
Rate of change of Effective longitudinal
gradient
The abrupt grade change may cause premature lift
off of aircraft during take off
The change in gradient should be smooth through
the provision of vertical curves
No vertical curve is required if the grade change is
less than 0.4 percent
Runway Geometric
Runway Gradient
Rate of change of Effective longitudinal
gradient

Type of airport Max Long. Grad. Max. Eff. Grad.
A, B, C 1.50% 1.00%
D, E 2.00% 2.00%

Runway Geometric
Runway Gradient
Rate of change of Effective longitudinal
gradient
Type of Rate of change/Distance between
airport 30m length of curve grade intersection
A, B 0.10% < 300(a+b)m
C 0.20% < 150(a+b)m
D, E 0.40% < 50(a+b)m
a and b are angle of interchange between grades
Runway Geometric
Rate of Change of Longitudinal Gradient





a
b
y
x
z
D
L
1

L
2

Runway Geometric
Rate of Change of Longitudinal Gradient

Small airport Large airport
Maximum a or b 2% 1.5%
L
1
or L
2
/1% grade change 90m 300m
D 75(a+b)m 300(a+b)m




Runway Geometric
Rate of Change of Longitudinal Gradient
Grade design Criteria (ICAO)
ICAO Max Max grade Max. Max. Distance Length
code Long. First & last Effec. Grade Bet. Points of
No Grade quarter Grade Change of grade vertical
% grade % intersection change

4 1.25 0.8 1.0 1.5 300 (A+B) m 300
3 1.5 0.8 1.0 1.5 150 (A+B) m 150
2 2.0 - 1.0 2.0 50 (A+B) m 75
1 2.0 - 2.0 2.0 50 (A+B) m 75
Runway Geometric
Transverse Gradient
Provided for quick disposal of surface water
Ponding of water is hazardous for aircraft
operation
Minimum recommended transverse slope is 1
percent
For rigid pavement it may be kept as low as 0.5%
Runway Geometric
Transverse Gradient
Slope upto 2% are permitted for runways that
serve smaller classes of aircraft (Code A and B).
For other runways, maximum transverse slope is
1.5%
For shoulders, slope of upto 5% is permitted
FAA recommends a 4 cm drop from the paved
runway surface to the graded shoulder surface
Runway Geometric
Transverse Gradient

45m
150m
300m
1 - 2%
3 - 5%
1.5 -
5%
1 - 2%
3 - 5%
1.5 -
5%
Runway Shoulder Shoulder
Runway Safety
Area
Runway Geometric








Transverse Gradient
Runway Geometric
Safety Area
The runway safety area is an area which is
cleared, drained and graded. It includes the
structural pavement, shoulders on either side of
runway and the additional width.
Runway Geometric
Safety Area
Structural Pavement
Shoulder
Shoulder
60m 60m
Extended Runway
Safety Area
Extended Runway
Safety Area
300 m
Runway safety
Area
Runway Geometric
Safety Area
ICAO recommendations
Code Number Code Number
1 2 3 4
Width of runway strip
Precision approach 150 150 300 300
Non-precision instrument 150 150 300 300
approach
Visual approach 60 80 150 150
Runway Geometric
Safety Area
ICAO recommendations
Code Number Code Number
1 2 3 4
Width of cleared and graded area
Instrumental approach 80 80 150 150
Visual approach 60 80 150 150
Runway Geometric
Shoulders
These are usually lesser strength pavements and
are provided on both sides of the runway strip
They impart a sense of openness to the pilots
Sometimes these are stablised to resist jet blast
erosion or to accommodate maintenance
equipment
Shoulders for small airports may be turfed
Runway Geometric
Shoulders
Shoulders are useful during emergency landing or
take-off
These are not meant for regular application of
load
Runway Geometric
Blast pad
Runway blast pads may be constructed at the
ends of the runway that serve jet operations
the blast pad extends across the full width of the
runway and its both side shoulders
this is essentially non-traffic area
Blast pads vary in length from 30 m to 120 m
depending up on the type of aircraft to be served
Parallel Runway System Spacing
Depends up on
Whether operation is in Visual Meteorological
condition (VMC) or in Instrument Meteorological
condition (IMC)
In case of IMC, whether it is desired to
accommodate simultaneous arrivals or
simultaneous arrivals and departures
In case of airports, serving both heavy and light
aircraft, simultaneous use of runways even in
VMC conditions may be dictated by separation
requirements to safeguard against wake vortices
Parallel Runway System Spacing
Recommendations
Under VMC, disregarding wake vortices
FAA recommends parallel runway centreline
separation of
90 m for single engine propeller aircraft
150 m for twin engine propeller aircraft
210 m for all other aircraft
Also, separation may be increased to 360 m for
airplane design groups V and VI
Parallel Runway System Spacing
Recommendations
Under VMC, disregarding wake vortices
ICAO recommends minimum separation of parallel
runway centreline as
120 m for airport reference code 1
150 m for airport reference code 2
210 m for airport reference code 3 and 4
Parallel Runway System Spacing
Recommendations
Under VMC, disregarding wake vortices
FAA recommends parallel runway centreline
separation of
420 m during day-light hours for opposite direction
operations and 840 m at all other times

Under VMC, considering wake vortices
FAA recommends minimum separation of 750 m
Parallel Runway System Spacing
Recommendations
Under IMC, for simultaneous instrument
approaches
ICAO recommends minimum separation of parallel
runway centreline as 1525 m and FAA
recommends 1290 m.
For instrumental approaches. Both the FAA and
ICAO recommended centreline separation of 915 m
Parallel Runway System Spacing
FAA Recommendations

Simultaneous VFR operations
All aircraft 210 m
Simultaneous IFR operations
Segregated operations 760 m
Radar departures 760 m
Nonradar departures 1000 m
Dependent arrivals 915 m
Independent arrivals 1300 m
Parallel Runway System Spacing
ICAO Recommendations

Simultaneous VFR operations
Aerodrum code 1 120 m
Aerodrum code 2 150 m
Aerodrum code 3 and 4 210 m
Parallel Runway System Spacing
ICAO Recommendations

Simultaneous IFR operations
Segregated operations 760 m
Independent departures 760 m
Dependent arrivals 915 m
Independent arrivals 1525 m