GM1 ADR-DSN.E.355 Strength of aprons

(a)Apron pavement protection against fuel: On aircraft stands, pavement surface in bituminous concrete and joints between concrete slabs should be protected from fuel effects.

(b)Fuel on bituminous concrete provokes a disintegration of the concrete which becomes a kind of dark powder. On aircraft stands, it is not rare to have fuel on the pavement surface, due to leakage from aircraft or refuelling devices or due to a wrong move during refuelling. Therefore, if the aircraft stand pavement is in bituminous concrete, a specific protection is considered. Such protection is:

(1)a surface protection consisting in an overlay with a material inert against fuel; or

(2)a product incorporated in the mass of the bituminous concrete during its fabrication, protecting aggregates and binder.

(c)The first solution has the disadvantages to be fragile against stamping effects due to aircraft at the stand but is very useful for existing pavement protection.

(d)Taking into account the stamping due to aircraft at stands and the weakness of bituminous concrete against fuel, the aircraft stand pavements are often in cement concrete, which offers a much better resistance to stamping and to fuel. Nevertheless, joints between cement concrete slabs could be also damaged by fuel. According to the location of such joints regarding aircraft location and refuelling devices location, it is preferable to manufacture such joints in a material resistant to the fuel.

(e)The method for reporting the bearing strength of the pavement is available in Part-ADR.OPS of Regulation (EU) No 139/2014.

(f)Additional information on the bearing strength, the design and evaluation of pavements is given in ICAO Doc 9157, Aerodrome Design Manual, Part 3, Pavements.

[Issue: ADR-DSN/6]