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9.4 MAINTENANCE

9.4.1 General

9.4.1.1 Standard - A maintenance programme including preventive maintenance where appropriate shall be established at an aerodrome to maintain facilities in a condition which does not impair the safety, regularity or efficiency of air navigation.

Note1 - Preventive maintenance is programmed maintenance work done in order to prevent a failure or degradation of facilities.

Note2 - "Facilities" are intended to include, but are not limited to, such items as pavements, prepared surfaces, visual aids, fencing, drainage systems and buildings.

Note3 - Guidance on the development of an airport self inspection program is contained in the TC Airports Safety Program Manual, TP11465.


9.4.2 Pavements

9.4.2.1 Recommendation - The surface of pavements (runways, taxiways, aprons, etc.) should be kept clear of any loose stones or other objects that might cause damage to aircraft structures or engines, or impair the operation of aircraft systems.

Note - Guidance on precautions to be taken in regard to the surface of shoulders is given in:

  1. the TC Operations and Maintenance Manual for Airport Pavements, TP779; and,
  2. the ICAO Aerodrome Design Manual, Part2.

9.4.2.2 Recommendation - The surface of a runway should be maintained in a condition such as to preclude formation of harmful irregularities.

9.4.2.3 Standard - For a runway serving turbojet aeroplanes, measurements of the friction characteristics of a runway surface shall be made periodically with a continuous friction measuring device using self-wetting features.

9.4.2.4 Standard - Correct ive maintenance action shall be taken when:

  1. the average coefficient of friction for the entire runway is below 0.50; or
  2. any areas of a runway surface that are 100metres or greater in length have an average coefficient of friction less than 0.30.

9.4.2.5 Standard - Correct ive maintenance action shall be programmed when:

  1. the average coefficient of friction for the entire runway is below 0.60; or
  2. any areas of a runway surface that are 100metres or greater in length have an average coefficient of friction less than 0.50.

9.4.2.6 Recommendation - When there is reason to believe that the drainage characteristics of a runway or portions thereof are poor due to slopes or depressions then the runway friction characteristics should be assessed under natural or simulated conditions that are representative of local rain and corrective maintenance action should be taken as necessary.

9.4.2.7 Recommendation - When a taxiway is used by turbine-engined aeroplanes the surface of the taxiway shoulders should be maintained so as to be free of any loose stones or other objects that could be ingested by the aeroplane engines.

Note - Guidance on the subject is given in the ICAO Aerodrome Design Manual, Part2.

Winter maintenance

9.4.2.8 Recommendation - The surface of a runway should be maintained in a condition so as to provide good friction characteristics and low rolling resistance. Snow, slush, ice, standing water and other contaminants should be removed as rapidly and completely as possible to minimize accumulation.

Note - Guidance on determining and expressing the friction characteristics on snow or ice contaminated runways is given in the Canadian Class1 NOTAM Procedures Manual Chapter9, TP973. The Airports Winter Surface Maintenance Manual TP659 contains further information on improving friction characteristics and on clearing of runways.

9.4.2.9 Recommendation - A taxiway should he kept clear of snow, slush, ice, etc. to the extent necessary to enable aircraft to be taxied to and from an operational runway.

9.4.2.10 Recommendation - Aprons should he kept clear of snow, slush, ice, etc. to the extent necessary to enable aircraft to manoeuvre safely or where appropriate to be towed or pushed.

9.4.2.11 Recommendation - Whenever the clearance of snow, slush, ice, etc. from the various parts of the movement area cannot be carried out simultaneously the order of priority should be as follows but may be altered following consultation with the aerodrome users:

  • 1st - runway(s) in use;
  • 2nd - taxiways serving runway(s) in use;
  • 3rd - apron(s);
  • 4th - holding bays;
  • 5th - emergency access roads; and
  • 6th - other areas.

9.4.2.12 Recommendation - Chemicals to remove or to prevent the formation of ice and frost on aerodrome pavements should be used when conditions indicate their use could be effective. Caution should be exercised in the application of the chemicals so as not to create a more slippery conditions.

Note - Guidance on the use of ice control chemicals is given in the Airports Winter Maintenance Manual, TP659.

9.4.2.13 Standard - Chemicals which may have harmful effects on aircraft or pavements, or chemicals which may have toxic effects on the aerodrome environment, shall not be used.

9.4.2.14 Standard - Systematic reporting on the status of winter aerodrome maintenance shall be carried out in accordance with the RSC/JBI format contained in Chapter9 of the Canadian Class1 NOTAM Procedures Manual - TP973.

Runway pavement overlays

Note - The following specifications are intended for runway pavement overlay projects when the runway is to be returned to an operational status before overlay of the entire runway is complete thus normally necessitating a temporary ramp between the new and old runway surfaces. Guidance on overlaying pavements and assessing their operational status is given in the ICAO Aerodrome Design Manual, Part3.

9.4.2.15 Standard - The longitudinal slope of the temporary ramp shall not exceed 1.0per cent measured with reference to the existing runway surface or previous overlay course.

9.4.2.16 Recommendation - Overlaying should proceed from one end of the runway toward the other end so that based on runway utilization most aircraft operations will experience a down ramp.

9.4.2.17 Recommendation - The entire width of the runway should be overlaid during each work session.

9.4.2.18 Standard - Before a runway being overlaid is returned to a temporary operational status, a runway centre line marking conforming to the specifications in Section5.2.3 shall be provided. Additionally, the location of any temporary threshold shall be identified by a 3.6m wide transverse stripe.

Note - See 5.2.4.8 to 5.2.4.10 for characteristics of a transverse stripe.


9.4.3 Visual Aids

Note - These specifications are not intended to define the failure of a lighting system.

Application

9.4.3.1 Standard - A system of preventive maintenance of visual aids shall be employed to ensure lighting and marking system reliability.

Note - Guidance on preventive maintenance of visual aids is given in the ICAO Airport Services Manual, Part9.

9.4.3.2 Recommendation - The system of preventive maintenance employed for a precision approach runway categoryII or III should have as its objective that, during any period of categoryII or III operations, all approach and runway lights are serviceable, and that in any event at least:

  1. 95per cent of the lights are serviceable in each of the following particular significant elements:
    • precision approach category II and III lighting system, the inner 450m;
    • runway centre line lights;
    • runway threshold lights; and
    • runway edge lights;

b. 90per cent of the lights are serviceable in the touchdown zone lights;

c. 85per cent of the lights are serviceable in the approach lighting system beyond 450m; and

d. 75per cent of the lights are serviceable in the runway end lights.

9.4.3.3 Recommendation - In order to provide continuity of guidance, the allowable percentage of unserviceable lights in a system listed in 9.4.3.2, should not be permitted in such a way as to alter the basic pattern of the lighting system. Additionally, an unserviceable light should not be permitted adjacent to another unserviceable light, except in a barrette or a crossbar where two adjacent unserviceable lights may be permitted.

Note - With respect to barrettes, crossbars and runway edge lights, lights are considered to be adjacent if located consecutively and:

  • laterally: in the same barrette or crossbar; or
  • longitudinally: in the same row of edge lights or barrettes.

9.4.3.4 Recommendation - The system of preventive maintenance employed for a stop bar provided at a taxi holding position used in conjunction with a runway intended for operations in runway visual range conditions less than a value of the order of 1400ft (400m) should have the following objectives:

  1. no more than two lights will remain unserviceable; and
  2. two adjacent lights will not remain unserviceable unless the light spacing is significantly less than that specified.

9.4.3.5 Recommendation - The system of preventive maintenance employed for a taxiway intended for use in runway visual range conditions less than a value of the order of 1400ft (400m) should have as its objective that no two adjacent taxiway centre line lights be unserviceable.

9.4.3.6 Recommendation - The system of preventive maintenance employed for a precision approach runway categoryI should have as its objective that, during any period of categoryI operations, all approach and runway lights are serviceable, and that in any event at least 85per cent of the lights are serviceable in each of the following:

  1. precision approach categoryI lighting system;
  2. runway threshold lights;
  3. runway edge lights; and
  4. runway end lights.

9.4.3.7 Recommendation - In order to provide continuity of guidance, an unserviceable light in a system listed in 9.4.3.6, should not be permitted adjacent to another unserviceable light unless the light spacing is significantly less than that specified.

9.4.3.8 Recommendation - The system of preventive maintenance employed for a runway intended for take-off in runway visual range conditions less than a value of 1400ft (400m) should have as its objective that all runway lights are serviceable, and that in any event at least:

  1. 95per cent of the lights are serviceable in each of the following particular significant elements:
    • runway centre line lights;
    • runway threshold lights; and
    • runway edge lights; and

b. 75per cent of the lights are serviceable in the runway end lights.

9.4.3.9 Recommendation - In order to provide continuity of guidance, the allowable percentage of unserviceable lights in a system listed in 9.4.3.8, should not be permitted in such a way as to alter the basic pattern of the lighting system. Additionally, an unserviceable light should not be permitted adjacent to another unserviceable light.

Note - With respect to runway edge lights, lights are considered to be adjacent if located sequentially in the same row of edge lights.

Date modified:
2011-06-27