Design Finds for Charlotte Douglas International Airport - Research Proposal Example

Charlotte Douglas International Airport Airport design The proposed runways as well as its associated infrastructure are designed on basis of the provisions in Aerodrome Reference Code 4F. The code is chosen due to its suitability in accommodating large aircraft such as Airbus A380 aircraft. The traffic forecasts taken into consideration are consistent with the ones applied in analysis of noise as well as other impacts. The forecast took into consideration the expected variations in aircraft arrival/departure frequencies. The proposed design alternative incorporates the following, Runway 12/30 needs to be assessed for ability to meet FAA safety criteria for other than utility runway with double non-precision tact with LPV instrument approach ability. FAA approach and departure surfaces should be clear, and FAR Part 77 should as well be cleared where feasible. The main runway length (RWF) can be inadequate for future large aircraft types. Consequently, an extension from 4,000 ft. to 4,400 ft. should be considered to satisfy FAA requirements for large aircraft designs, more particularly, A380. Additionally, an ultimate runway extension up to 5,500 needs to be considered for unconstrained airport. The report further proposes a full parallel taxiway aimed at serving the expanded Runway 12/30. The crosswind runway 5/23 needs to also be evaluated for ability to satisfy FAA safety criteria for utility runway with double visual approaches. FAA approach and departure surfaces should as well be clear and FAR Part 77 cleared when feasible. Additionally, runway OFA requires being free from any obstructions. A further proposal is made that the aircraft apron be expanded to satisfy future transient parking requirements for aircrafts as well as maneuverability. The design should also be updated to accommodate future and ultimate hangar necessities. A comprehensive Alternatives Analysis for each runway end along existing main runway alignments further provided. Provided below are a summary of planning considerations in relation to respective runway ends for other-than-utility Runway 12/30: Runway 30 (extend 300 ft.): This runway end can undergo reasonable extension of up to 300 ft. and permit Highway to clear a 34:1 non-precision approaching slope by 18 ft. (15 ft. required). Transitional surface obstructions are present (building) and will be mitigated using obstruction lighting. A 400 ft. extension will allow Highway to clear airspace through few inches. A 300 ft. extension and beyond might have an impact on nearby commercial businesses as the proposed parallel taxiway centerline will lie within 70 ft. of property boundary and will be additionally impacted on by noise and jet-blast. Consequently, a 300 ft. runway extension reasonably optimizes use of existing runway without any additional impacts. Runway 12 (extended by 100 ft.): This runway end allows for a 100 ft. extension and still clears a presumed 15-ft. obstacle along existing Road for 34:1 non-precision approaching slope. A runway length exceeding 100 ft. will view the adjacent Road as airspace obstruction. At 200 ft. extension, Runway 12 will be limited to visual approach. FAA policy is meant to ensure future runway ends clear FAR Part 77 standards. Therefore, a 100 ft. runway extension optimizes use of existing runway, in addition to preserving future instrument approach objectives. Crosswind Runway 05-23 A number of options are available for disposition of crosswind runway 5/23. It is recommended that runway 5/23 retain its existing alignment with a few modifications to satisfy FAA approaches and departures as well as Part 77 airspace benchmarks. The runway 5/23 provides combined wind coverage beyond 95 is necessary for airport operation safety. Provide below is a summary of planning considerations inn relation to every runway end to match airport design standards for the Runway: Notably, for runway 5: Land beyond the runway end is fully developed and hence no extension can take place. To eliminate off-airport field road from Runway OFA, the end of Runway 5 should be relocated 80 ft. to northeast to place OFA completely inside airport property. To allow use by Airbus, airspace obstructions should be removed or lowered to match approach and departure as well as FAR Part 77 standards. Upon removal of obstructions, the current displaced threshold needs to be removed. In long-run, the runway might need to be displaced for another 80 ft. in order to accommodate extension of Quality Drive to its north. With respect to Runway 23: as is the case with Runway 5, airspace obstructions should be removed or reduced to match approach/departure as well as FAR Part 77 standards. Upon removal of obstructions, the existing displacement threshold can be eliminated. This, in combination with the 80 ft. runway end shift on Runway 5 end, is expected to permit Runway 5/23 to attain a total length of 2,000 ft. long-term extension to 2,300 ft. is feasible given obstruction data. This will place the runway end well away from the beginning of a steep drop-off and still meet FAA design standards. Any further extension is not recommended, however an increased safety area beyond the Runway 23 end could be implemented by the Sponsor to enhance safety. Airport elevation 1,024 ft. MSL Average daily max. Temp. of the hottest month 85.2°F Max. difference in runway center-line elevation 5 ft. Wet and slippery runways Small airplanes (with less than 10 passenger seats) 75 percent of these small airplanes 2,810 95 percent of these small airplanes 3,330 100 percent of these small airplanes 3,950 Small airplanes with 10 or more passenger seats 4,380 Large airplanes of 60,000 pounds or less 75 percent of these large airplanes at 60 percent useful load 5,500 75 percent of these large airplanes at 90 percent useful load 7,000 100 percent of these large airplanes at 60 percent useful load 5,570 100 percent of these large airplanes at 90 percent useful load 8,370 Taxiway Description Existing Airport Configuration Future Airport Configuration Taxiway Design Group (TDG) II II Taxiway Width 35 ft. 40 ft. Taxilane Width (State Standard) 20 ft. 20 ft. Taxiway/Taxilane Centerline from Centerline* 240 ft. 240 ft. Holding Position Marking* 200 ft. 200 ft. Table 4: Runway design standards for A340 Aircraft 05-23 Current Standards FAA Minimum Standards Runway Width 150’ 150’ Shoulder Width 37’ 35’ RSA Width 501’ 500’ RSA Length Prior to Land. Threshold 600’ 600’ RSA Length Beyond to Land. Threshold 1000’ 1000’ Source: AC 150/5300-13A Table 5 – Runway 03-25 Taxiway design standards 05-23 Current Standards FAA Minimum Standards Taxiway Width 75’ 75’ Shoulder Width 37’ 35’ Taxiway Edge Safety Margin 15’ 15’ Taxiway/Taxilane Safety Area Width 215’ 214’ Source: Table 4-1 of AC 150/5300-13A Table 6 – Taxiway Fillet dimension standards for Airplane Design Group V (A340) 05-23 Current Standards FAA Minimum Standards Radius of taxiway turn 150’ 150’ Length of lead-in to fillet 250’ 250’ Fillet radius for tracking centerline 85’ 85’ Source: Table 4-2 of AC 150/5300-13A Table 7 – Runway 05-23 separations standards 05-23 Runway Centerline to: FAA Minimum Standards Holdline 280 feet – A340-600 250 feet – A340-300 Taxiway/Taxilane/Centerline 450’ Aircraft Parking Area 500’ To determine the runway 05-23 separation standards, table 2-2 of AC 150/5300-13A – Runway separation standards for Aircraft Approach Categories C&D has been used and the separation standards is displayed on table 7 in appendices. It is important to note that the airport elevation is critical in determining runway separation standards. 748 feet was used as the Charlotte Douglass International Airport elevation. For the modified taxiway/taxi lane separation requirements, the same FAA Advisory Circular used above was used. Here, A340-600 is used as the critical aircraft. According to airbus.com, the wing span of A340-600 is 208.1 feet. Figure 6 in appendices shows these calculations. The modified separation standards have been found to be 259.8 feet for taxiway centerline to parallel taxiway / taxi lane centerline, 155.7 feet for taxiway centerline to fixed or movable object, 239 feet for taxi lane centerline to parallel taxilane centerline, and 135 feet for taxilane centerline to fixed or movable object. Acute-Angle Taxiway Requirements on Runway 05-23 The results based on appropriate calculation for runway requirements are provided in the table below. The calculations are based on FAA requirements for appropriate acute-angled taxiway exit location for A340 airplane from runway 23 threshold, relevant length of high speed exit taxiway to allow A340 to decelerate to a speed of 15mph, exit angle required, as well as the runway and taxiway occupancy times of A340. Runway Length Requirements Aircraft Take off length Landing length A340-300 10,800 feet 6,580 feet A340-600 11,400 feet 7,200 feet Adjusted Runway Length Requirements A340-300 11,200 feet 7,567 feet A340-600 11,800 feet 8,280 feet High Speed Exit Taxiway Location from Runway 23 Threshold The analysis determines that the appropriate acute angle taxiway location is 5,750 ft. from Runway 23’s threshold. This is obtained as follows, High Speed Exit Taxiway Length It was established that Charlotte Douglass Airport needs to have a length estimated at 1,458 ft. for high speed exit taxiway if it is to allow A340 airplane to decelerate to 15 mph before the airplane enters taxiway M. Required Exit Angle The necessary exit angle with respect to A340 airplane is 30 degrees. This is obtained through the formula, Airbus A340 Runway and Taxiway Occupancy Time Touches down velocity and exit velocity of A340 Aircraft are used in calculation of runway and taxiway occupancy time. With respect to A340-300 and A340-600, these were found to be 25.66 seconds and 57.58 seconds respectively for taxiway occupancy time and 31.41 seconds for runway occupancy. For A340-300 For A340-600 A340-600 Departing Runway 36C Departure Path as well as FAR Part 77 reveals that proposed high rise hotel will be considered as an obstruction to air navigation upon completion. As a result, for A340-600 to achieve safe departure from runway 36C, High Rise Hotel has to be displaced by an estimated 735 ft. Useful data: Data: Runway 36C TORA: 10,000 Aircraft: A340 – 600 Engines: 4 Engines Aircraft First segment = 0.5% Second segment = 3.0% Third segment = 1.7% Reduction factor = 1% (Starting at the end of Takeoff Distance, TOD) 4 Engine Aircraft S1 = Measured as a distance from first segment end to the runway end S2 = Measured from runway end to the end of the second segment S3 = Measured from runway end to the end of the third segment S1 = TORA – Landing Gear Up (LGU) A340-600 Landing on Runway 18C To determine whether an aircraft can safely depart on any runway, High Rise Hotel elevation is 1005 feet. To find if A340 – 600 can safely land on the Runway 18C; Elevation of Approach Surface at the tower (e) – Obstacle elevation (High Rise Hotel) (911 feet – 1005 feet) * 50 = -94 * 50 feet = 4,700 feet The KCLT sponsor can either choose to relocate the high rise hotel, lower the high rise hotel, displace the threshold of the high rise hotel by approximately 4,700 feet, and/or raise landing minimums on runway 18C threshold. Recommendations There are two options available, the high rise hotel can be lowered, or runway 18C can be displaced by an estimated 4,700 feet. Alternatively, there is an option of raising the landing minimums. Reference Red Falls. (2013). Airport Layout Report. City of Red Wood Falls FAA Guidelines. Read More