AIRPORT DRAINAGE
BITS Pilani
Hyderabad Campus
AIRPORT DRAINAGE
• Purpose of Drainage
• Design storm for surface runoff
• Intensity and duration pattern for the design storm
• Amount of runoff
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
NEED FOR RUNWAY DRAINAGE
• Adequate drainage system for the removal of surface
and subsurface water is vital for the safety of aircraft
and for the long service life of the pavements
• Improper drainage results in the formation of puddles
on the pavement surface which can be hazardous to
aircraft taking off or landing
• Landing on the runway pavement with poor drainage
can also result in the early deterioration of pavements.
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
AQUAPLANING
Aquaplaning or hydroplaning by the tires of a road vehicle, aircraft or other
wheeled vehicle occurs when a layer of water builds between the wheels of
the vehicle and the road surface, leading to a loss of traction that prevents
the vehicle from responding to control inputs. If it occurs to all wheels
simultaneously, the vehicle leads to uncontrolled slide.
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
AQUAPLANING
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Aquaplaning
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
AQUAPLANING
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
AQUAPLANING
• Aquaplaning was the factor in an accident to Qantas
Flight1 when it ran off the end of the runway in Bangkok in
1999 during heavy rain.
• Aircraft which can employ reverse thrust braking have the
advantage over road vehicles in such situations, as this type
of braking is not affected by aquaplaning, but it requires a
considerable distance to operate as it is not as effective as
wheel braking on a dry runway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfFZ2-Am-Zk – Reverse Thrust
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
AQUAPLANING
• Dynamic Aquaplaning
• Reverted Rubber Aquaplaning
• Viscous Aquaplaning
Any one of the three can render an aircraft partially or
totally uncontrollable anytime during the landing roll
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Airport Drainage
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Airport Drainage
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Design storm for surface run off
• FAA recommends that for civil airports, the drainage
system be designed for a storm whose probability of
occurrence is once in 5 years
• The designs should, however be checked with a
storm of lesser frequency (10 to 15 years)
• Drainage system for military airfields is based on a
2-years storm frequency
• Rainfall intensity is expressed in inches per hour for
various durations of a particular storm.
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Design storm for surface run off
FAA adopts the following formula for the calculation of amount
of run off
Q = CIA
Q = Run off from the drainage basin (ft/sec)
C = Ratio of runoff to rainfall (coefficient of runoff)
I = Rainfall intensity (inch /hour)
A = Drainage area in acres
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Coefficient of Runoff (FAA)
Types of Surfaces Factor C
All water tight roof surfaces 0.75-0.95
Asphalt runway pavements 0.80-0.95
Concrete runway pavements 0.70-0.90
Gravel or Macadam pavements 0.35-0.70
For impervious soils (heavy)* 0.40-0.65
Impervious soils with turf* 0.30-0.55
Slightly pervious soils* 0.15-0.40
Slightly pervious soils with turf* 0.10-0.30
Moderately pervious soils* 0.05-0.20
Moderately pervious soils with turf* 0.00-0.10
* For slopes from 1 to 2 % BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
DESIGN STORM FOR SURFACE RUN OFF
For drainage basins consisting of several types of surfaces
with different infiltration characteristics, the weighted run
off coefficient should be computed as:
C=(A1C1 + A2C2 +A3C3)/(A1+A2+A3)
Where
A1, A2, A3 = areas of different types of surfaces
C1, C2, C3 = respective coefficient of runoffs
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
DRAINAGE EXAMPLE
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
SURFACE AND SUB-SURFACE DRAINS
• The pipes diameter is determined based on the discharge
• Pipes - Perforated Metal, Concrete on Vitrified Clay
(Non crystalline amorphous solid - Glass)
• Pipes - 6” diameter with a minimum slope of 0.15 % and minimum
filter material of 6” surrounding the drain
• For cleaning and inspection – Manholes and risers
• The corps of engineers recommend that manhole be placed at
intervals < 1000 ft
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
SURFACE AND SUB-SURFACE DRAINS
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
SURFACE DRAINAGE
• Water from a discharge area is collected into the storm drain by
means of inlets
• The inlet structures consists of a concrete box, whose top is
covered with a grating made of cast iron or reinforced concrete.
• Cover is designed to takes aircraft wheel loads
• The inlets are spaced from 200 – 400 ft.
• Support locations of inlets depend on the configuration of the
airport and on the grading plan.
• The design should be such that entire quantity of surface run off
should be removed in 1 to 2 hours following the rain storm.
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
SURFACE DRAINAGE
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Ponding
https://www.slideshare.net/srinivas2036/airport-drainage-47193829
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Ponding
If the airport area is subjected to high rainfall
intensities, ponding of water is done to
accumulate water for some time and then allow
it to enter the drains.
Allowing the ponding of water reduces the size of
drains.
Water is collected in catch basin and carried away
by storm sewer.
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
PONDING PROVIDED
• When ponding is provided the volume of possible storage
is calculated by the formula:
V = 1/3 [b*(A+B+AB)]
V = volume of pond in m3
b = height of pond in meters
A = area of upper surface of pond in m2
B = area of lower surface of the pond in m2
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
SUB SURFACE DRAINAGE
• Functions of subsurface drainage are to:
• Remove water from a base course.
• Remove water from the sub grade beneath a pavement.
• Intercept, collect and remove water flowing from springs
and previous strata.
• Base drainage is usually required:
• Where frost action occurs in the sub-grade beneath a
pavement.
• Where the ground water is expected to rise to the level of
base course.
• Where the pavement is subjected to frequent inundation
and the sub-grade is highly impervious and sub surface
waters from adjacent areas are seeping towards the airport
pavements.
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Methods for draining sub-surface
water
Base course are usually drained by installing sub-
surface drains adjacent to and parallel to the edge
of pavement.
The pervious material in the trench should extend
to the bottom of base course and center line of the
drain pipe should be placed a minimum of 1 ft
below the bottom of the base course.
Sub grade is drained by pipes installed along the
edge of the pavement and the center line of the
drain should be placed at edge.
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Environmental Impact
Assessment
• Pollution Impact
Air pollution
Noise pollution
Water pollution
Pollution during construction
• Social Impacts
Land development
Displacement and relocation
Displacement of recreational, historical and natural assets
• Ecological factors
Wild and water life
Flora and fauna
Endangered species and birds
• Engineering factors
Flood hazards
Energy and natural resources
• Economic factors
Cost-benefit analysis
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Thank you
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
