SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS FOR AIRPORT TRACKS AND RUNOFFS
Field of the Invention The present invention relates to security improvements for runways and airport runways, and particularly, to the need to increase the width of taxiways and runways of airports in order to minimize the risk of damage to aircraft engines by foreign objects, as well as safety problems with respect to the deterioration of the existing natural grass surface that delimits taxiways and runways for airplanes. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With the arrival of larger and more powerful aircraft that circulate on airport runways and taxiways that were built many years ago, there is a severe concern regarding safety with respect to outgoing engines which now they frequently extend beyond the existing supports of the airport runways and taxiways. The new generation of aircraft that are currently being manufactured have very large wing spacings that result in jet engines overlaying existing runway supports and runways, and in many cases, they are usually left hanging over the areas of natural grass that delimit taxiways and runways for the airport, significantly increasing the risk of damage to aircraft engines due to the presence of foreign objects. Most runway brackets and runways for aircraft at airports are constructed of asphalt, which may have deteriorated surfaces and edges such as breakage and spalling. This creates a serious risk of damage to aircraft and particularly aircraft engines that protrude from runway supports, where such damage is caused by foreign objects such as loose pieces of asphalt and debris that could enter the aircraft. the engines of the planes. Foreign object damage is a major safety issue for both airport operators and aircraft manufacturers as they could have catastrophic results. In addition to the potential for damage from foreign objects, asphalt pavements require periodic maintenance and / or a complete replacement, which adds to the airport's overall operating costs. In order to minimize the risk of damage from foreign objects to aircraft engines and in order to comply with regulatory safety laws, one solution is to increase the width of taxiways and existing airport runways using the concrete or asphalt placed on deep foundations of traditional construction methods. However, the costs related to traditional construction methods and the stopping times of airport operations are very important and sometimes not feasible, which is the result of traditional construction. Aerial fields are generally built in large open areas, and therefore, in addition to the blasts of the aircraft themselves and the ejection of objects by the eddies, they are also exposed to air storms, snowstorms, as well as thunderstorms. sand, which requires costly maintenance of the upper ground boundaries existing on airport runways and runways, such as cutting, fixing, cleaning, etc., in order to ensure water drainage from the existing surface, and to avoid puddling water and possibly freeze the surface water found in the airstrip. Therefore, there is a need for an improvement for airport runways and taxiways, particularly the need for improvements for the extension of existing airport runway and taxiway substrates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method for improving the safety of airport runways and taxiways. Another object of the present invention, is to provide an effective cost solution for the extension of the existing supports of airport runways and runways at airports in order to minimize the risk of damage by foreign objects to aircraft engines. A further object of the present invention is to provide an adaptation of the surface that supports the runways of the airport and taxiways to extend the width of the existing supports in said runways, thereby reducing the potential for damage to the runways. aircraft engines after strange objects. In accordance with a general aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for improving the safety of airport runways which comprises the steps of: a) providing a flexible material covering the surface; and b) extending the width of an existing track support for aircraft by installing said flexible surface forming material along one side of the runway. According to a more specific aspect of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of: providing a compact earth base that limits a support on an aircraft runway, by placing a flexible surface coating material and waterproof on the compact earth base; and anchoring the surface material to the track in an airtight manner so that the material covering the surface ensures efficient drainage of water from the surface, and allows the drainage without clogging of loose particles. It is preferable to additionally support a synthetic grass surface in an area beyond the surface coating forming material so that loose particles can be trapped therein when being driven by the bursts generated by the aircraft on the runway. , and that they leave the material of the surface. According to another aspect of the present invention, an adaptation of the surface that limits the support of the runways of the airports and taxiways to extend the width of the existing supports of the runways of the airport and taxiways is provided. , thus eliminating the potential for damage to aircraft engines by loose particles. The adaptation comprises a compact earth base which limits an airstrip and a flexible surface-coating and water-impermeable material placed on the compact earth base and directly adjacent to the side edge of the airstrip. Means are provided for anchoring the coating material from the surface to the edge of the runway in a water-tight manner, so that the surface coating material ensures efficient water drainage from the surface and allows drainage Unobstructed by loose particles. It is noted that the flexible waterproof coating material can be installed directly on the existing paved runway in its support area, in order to reduce the cost of excavating the existing asphalt and to maintain the existing support in place. . According to a further general aspect of the present invention, a safety adaptation of the airfield is provided to reduce the risk of an aircraft engine being damaged as a result of the entry of foreign objects from an area adjacent to the runway. , the safety adaptation comprising a ground surface covering material adapted to be placed on the ground so that it extends laterally outwardly from the landing strip, the covering material of the ground surface having a surface relatively smooth projection, which slopes down from the runway to provide water drainage from the surface, and the evacuation of loose particles to a place where the particles are not subject to entering aircraft engines in the runway, and an anchoring system on the shore to link the runway with the material covering the surface of the land in a water-tight manner. The surface coating material can be provided with a textured pattern as long as it does not impede the removal of the loose particles. Still in accordance with the present invention, an adaptation of the surface that limits a runway support is provided. to extend the width of the existing supports of the airstrip and taxiways in order to reduce the potential for damage to aircraft engines by foreign objects (FOD), the adaptation comprising a flexible surface coating material and waterproof adapted to extend laterally from a side edge of an airfield support; a system for securing the shore to ensure that the surface covering material is in place in relation to the support of the airway and to prevent the migration of water between them, taking the surface coating material, a relatively smooth top surface to provide water drainage from the surface and an evacuation of loose particles without obstruction. Preferably the surface coating material further includes reflective and luminescent materials (e.g., phosphorescent materials) to provide the perimeter lines and track identification markings so that in situations where the luminescent effect of the reflective materials has vanished, the lights of the plane would be reflected. The reflective or luminescent materials may be provided as an integral part of the surface coating material, or may be applied thereto by bonding, painting or other means using any other appropriate techniques. The surface coating material is preferably green in color and could be of other colors if a strong visual contrast is required between the aircraft tracks and the edges of the taxiways and the natural field edges. In another embodiment of the present invention, the adaptation further includes a synthetic grass surface that covers the area beyond the surface coating material, which is permanently bonded to the surface coating material. Therefore, the relatively smooth texture of the surface coating material will allow for the clear eviction of any loose particles that may be present on the runways of the aircraft and on the runway supports of the aircraft and taxiways. , which could present a potential for damage by foreign objects to aircraft engines. As an added value, the replacement of natural grass surfaces with the surface covering material in combination with the synthetic grass surface can provide considerable cost benefits with respect to airport maintenance budgets. This artificial grass can be either permeable or impermeable depending on the specifications for the specific application. Substantial savings can be achieved in airport maintenance budgets with the installation of a surface coating material, which is virtually maintenance free. In addition, the installation of the synthetic grass surface would eliminate the need for the arrangement and cutting of natural pastures. Synthetic grass would retain its permanent green color and texture over the years, eliminating the need to replace old grass and dead natural grass. In hot and arid climates, for example, in the Middle East, the relatively smooth protruding surface of the surface coating material would allow the removal of sand and other foreign objects loose quickly and efficiently from the supports simply as a result of air or the turbulence of the area created by airplanes and other mechanical means. General maintenance could be carried out quickly and cheaply to keep the extended supports free of hazardous waste. The waste is placed inside the adjacent synthetic grass where the waste will be trapped. If necessary, the accumulated waste can be emptied periodically. In cold climates, accumulated snow can be easily and quickly removed from the surface coating material, either by blowers or large sweepers at a distance beyond the protruding part of the aircraft engines. Because the surface coating material is completely watertight, the risk of settling and deterioration of the support base would be eliminated, thereby providing a stable base for the circulation of maintenance vehicles during the year.
The pattern of installation of the surface covering material with seams running parallel to the existing support edges would not interfere with maintenance operations. Other advantages and features of the present invention will now be better understood, with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, which are described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Having described in a general manner the nature of the present invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which show by way of illustration a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a runway of an airport having support extensions according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an adaptation of the limits of the runway support according to a first embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an adaptation of the limits of the runway support according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention Figure 1 illustrates a runway of an airport 10 comprising a landing / runway 11, and a pair of runway supports 12. Each support 12 extends laterally outwardly by means of an adaptation of the boundaries of the supports comprising a soft ground cover, or a flexible waterproof surface coating material 4. As shown in Figure 2, the installation of the surface covering material 14 generally begins with the first step of removal, at a depth indicated by the terrain report, of the existing organic material contained in the upper extract of the ground boundary G of the supports 12 of the airstrip or the taxiway to which we generally refer as a landing strip throughout this application. The ground G is dug down to a land surface that can be compacted. At that point, the soil is sorted and compacted by being flattened and shaped to cover the required inclinations so that the flow of surface water is controlled to drain specific locations. The rocks are formed from the compact earth base and if required, a backing layer designed and compacted will be installed prior to the installation of the surface coating material 14 directly on the compacted backfill, if specified do it this way. It should be noted that in some applications, the surface coating material 14 can be placed directly on the ground without the need for excavation. The coating material of the flexible surface 14, which is a plastic composite, for example, polypropylene, urethane, vinyl or polyethylene, is placed directly on the compacted earth base adjacent to the shore of the existing runway support. As shown in Figure 3, the surface coating material 14 can also be installed so that it at least partially covers or overlaps the runway support 12 (for example, the airstrip or the airstrip). taxi track). This is particularly applicable in the case where existing support would have to be repaired or resurfaced. The coating material of the surface 14 has a relatively smooth texture having a thickness between 50 mm and 400 mm. The surface coating material 14 can be provided in the form of a polyethylene, polypropylene, or any other type of plastic or composite material that can be sprayed or laminated onto a mesh substrate. Polyethylene or any equivalent thereof could be sprayed or applied to the site, or to the manufacturing plant by different methods. The surface coating material 14 is completely impermeable to water, and preferably is permanently bonded to a securing system or shore anchoring system 16, placed adjacent to the edges of the existing airfield support, or directly to the 12 support since all the facilities are different.
The installation of the surface coating material 14 is completed, by rollers which overlap the material of the surface coating, and by applying a heat treatment, such as thermal welding, or by applying adhesives to the overlapping surface coating materials , thus melting the two materials together to obtain a strong and watertight permanent seam bond. In the illustrated embodiment, the coating material of the surface 14 is connected in a water-tight manner to the support of the air track 12. More particularly, the interface between the edge and the existing supports of the air track and the first roll of the surface coating material can be made watertight by installing waterproof elastomeric sealants in order to ensure a continuous and uninterrupted surface drainage of the impervious surface. The waterproof elastomeric sealant is incorporated with the specially designed anchoring system 16 which ensures a secure, permanent and economical anchoring of the edges of coating material from the surface 14 to the adjacent immediately adjacent airway supports 12. The anchoring system 16 preferably includes an extruded plastic element 18 previously manufactured, for example, of polypropylene or other plastic that can be thermally bonded to the coating material of the flexible surface 14. The extruded plastic element 18 is partially embedded in a foam of expansion 20 formulated in a special manner, which is injected into the narrow excavated terrain along the edge of the support of the air track 12. The excavation, the injection of the foam, and the bond of the plastic element 18 are completed simultaneously in an operation. The plastic element 18 has an anchoring portion 24 from which a leg 26 supporting an upper ground section extends, or head 22 to which a first row of the surface covering material 14 is bonded which is bonded in the form thermal or mechanical. For example, the bond of coating material of the surface 14 can be made by applying a heat-activated treatment, or by applying adhesives to the overlaps of the coating material of the surface 14, and the extruded plastic element 18, permanently melting the two materials together. This anchoring system 16 provides a watertight seal between the edge of the airway support, and the coating material on the surface 14. As shown in Figure 2, a sealant 27 is preferably provided throughout of a vertical interface between the support 12 and the adaptation of the coating of the surface of the earth. When the coating material of the entire surface 14 is in place, the coating material of the surface 14 will take the shape and inclination of the underlying compacted earth base and will remain flat to provide a relatively smooth projecting surface to provide drainage of water and the removal of loose particles. The extent of the width and length at which the surface covering material 14 is installed will depend on the operation and the design criteria of the specific sites. The areas beyond the surface covering material 14 could be covered with artificial grass 30 which would trap any coated particles, such as the sand that is displaced by the aircraft gusts. The synthetic grass surface is permanently bonded to the coating material on the surface 14 by means such as the application of a thermal welding technique, or by the application of adhesives to ensure a permanent water-tight seam between the coating material of the surface 14 and the surface of synthetic grass 30. The surface of synthetic grass 30, generally includes a pile material 32 which is preferably placed on the basis of compact soil substantially free of organic matter. The pile material 32 includes a plurality of pile members 34 that resemble grass blades that extend from a relatively narrow flexible support fiber material 36, at a predetermined height above it. In the support material 36 there is provided a non-water holding ballast material 38 to stabilize the pile material 32 in place and has a thickness less than the previously determined height of the pile elements 34. The ballast material 38 is provided in the form of a relatively thick layer of particulate material dispersed between the pile elements 34 and the support material 36. The synthetic grass is generally installed on an inclined base to convey water from the pile material 32 to the delivery system. Storm water designed. Surface drainage is important because it is easier to prepare and can operate at a lower cost. The strips of pile elements 34 may be similar to those described in Canadian Patent also pending from Applicant No. 2,218,314 filed on October 16, 1997, and which remains open as of September 10, 1998, the contents of which are incorporated herein. description as reference. A thin impermeable membrane 40 is placed on the compact earth base to prevent water from percolating downward. The drainage layer 42 is provided, which comprises a thicker layer of aggregate, such as rock particles, in the waterproof membrane 40. The flexible support material 36 is placed in the drainage enable layer 42 so that the water can flow easily from the support material 36 through the drainage enabling layer 42 on the waterproof membrane 40 and into water straps placed at strategic locations. This embodiment is described in more detail in the PCT Application of the applicant PCT / CA01 / 01275, entitled, ARTIFICIAL PASTE FOR BANQUETS, presented on September 5, 2001, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference. It should be noted that the water barrier could be integrated into the support material 36 in which case the fill layer 38 would act as the drainage enabling layer. As shown in Figure 2, the surface coating material 14 can be bonded to the edge of the waterproof membrane 40 to provide a water-tight seal between the synthetic grass surface 30 and the coating material of the surface. surface 14. Alternatively, the surface coating material could be placed under the support material 36 and be bonded thereto, in thermal form or by means of adhesives. As an added safety feature, the surface coating material 14 can be manufactured with a permanent color such as green, or with other colors if it is required to increase the visual contrast between the central landing area of the runway 10, and the supports 12 thereof. The surface coating material 14 can also be designed to accept materials that absorb solar energy which will dissipate a luminescent glow at night without the need for external energy sources. The luminescent reflector brightness would last up to 10 to 12 hours to cover the twilight period at dawn. The solar absorbent material can be coated directly on the surface of the coating material of the installed surface 14, or it can be installed during manufacture. The form and separation factors can be manufactured in a customized way to cover the specific specifications of the operation of the airport. The solar absorbent material can usefully replace conventional lighting systems for small airports. The surface coating material 14 may also include special reflector materials installed therein, to improve the visibility of the trajectory of the airstrip for aircraft landing at night. Therefore, in situations where the luminescent effect of the solar absorbing material vanishes, the airport lights will be reflected by the reflective materials of a road to facilitate a safe landing. As shown in Figure 3, the surface coating material 14 can be installed directly on an existing support 12, and anchored thereto by means of an anchoring element 18 'provided in the form of a plastic extrusion placed in a trench formed in the support 12 and fixed in the position therein by means of a plurality of anchor bars. The surface coating material 14 can be thermally or adhesively bonded to the anchor member 18 'or mechanically adhered thereto, as described above with respect to Figure 2. Alternatively, the coating material on the surface 14 it could be adhesively bonded directly to the support 12. A given thickness of the material is removed from the supports 12 so that the coating material on the surface 14 is substantially level with the clearance / landing strip 11. The protection against damage by foreign objects (FOD) can be further increased by incorporating a guidance system within the surface coating material to guide a robot 48 parallel to the airway 10 in order to locate and detect the FOD materials that could enter the engines of the airplane. The guide system could include a magnetic guide wire 46 embedded in the surface coating surface material 14, or any other type of guide technology. By having guide wires embedded in the coating material of the flexible surface 14, the airway would not be prevented from draining over the protruding channels or edges to guide the robots 48. The robots 48 could also be designed to clear the material flexible sand and FOD by means of larger robots made with the blowers needed to do it. The FOD detection robot would need to be heavy and stable enough not to be displaced by air and washed by jets. A cable system could also be used to guide the robot and keep the robot tied. Those skilled in the art will appreciate modifications and improvements to the previously described embodiment of the present invention. The above description is intended as an example rather than a limitation. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.