1. Airfield Marking Handbook
IPRF/FAA
Project No. 01-G
Primary Investigator
Donna Speidel,
President – Sightline, LC

2. Sightline, LC (Airport Marking Consultants) is the author of the
Airfield Marking Handbook.
The project was administered by the
Innovative Pavement Research Foundation
under a Cooperative Research Agreement
with the Federal Aviation Administration

3. NAVAIDS “broken”? Signs
If a sign is unlit or broken, it gets replaced.
Lights
If a taxiway light is malfunctioning, it gets fixed.
Markings
But how do you know when the markings are
“broken”?

4. Marking Standards Describes WHAT the markings are,
FAA AC 150/5340-1J
USAF ETL 04-2
USN UFGS
USACE TM
Describes WHAT the markings are,
WHEN you’re supposed to use them
and WHERE they belong.

5. Runway Incursions Markings Airport Marking Importance
Guide
Clarify
Define
Lack of clear, distinct markings
Runway Incursions

6. Visibility of Markings
Contrast of markings (black border)
“The contrast of markings on light colored pavements can be increased by outlining them with a black border at least 6-inches in width.”
AC 150/5340-1H, dated 8/31/99 (FAA) 6

7. Visibility of Markings
Use of glass beads:
“Markings that cannot be seen by pilots and others operating on marked surfaces are useless.”
AC 150/5340-1H, dated 8/31/99 (FAA)

8. Visibility of Markings
Markings should be as visible during darkness as they are in the daylight. 8

9. Visibility of Markings
Quality Application
All the efforts to increase visibility with black borders, glass beads and new designs are futile if markings are not applied well.

10. Objectives of the handbook
What can be done to increase the life-cycle
of airfield markings?
2. What constitutes a “quality” marking?
3. When is a marking functional and when
is it “unsafe”?
4. What is a good application v. a poor one?

11. Roundtable Discussion
30 industry participants met in Kansas City on
June 15, 2006:
airport engineering consultants,
FAA staff,
airport management,
maintenance personnel,
striping contractors,
material manufacturers, and
military airport managers

12. Top FIVE Industry Issues
Application Procedures
Surface Preparation
Pavement Marking Removal
Material Selection
Project Specifications

13. Handbook Organization
Project Specifications
Material Selection
Surface Preparation
Pavement Marking Removal
Application Procedures 13

14. Project Specifications
Address the standard specifications and guidance literature, emphasizing the need to customize specifications to fit the project.
When is maintenance necessary?
Develop measured and detailed techniques for quality assurance.
Create a tool kit for inspection of marking application.

15. Marking Maintenance Who’s watching? Markings degrade slowly due to:
traffic (worn marking)
sunlight (UV deterioration)
rain (paint absorbs water, expands and contracts)
snowplows, sweepers
contaminants (oils, rust deposits, algae, rubber)
loss of retro-reflectivity

16. Marking Maintenance Prevent degradation due to:
Poor Application Practices 16

17. Worn Markings - over 50% of paint is gone.

18. Faded Markings

19. Nighttime visibility is poor to bad:

20. Obscured Markings

21. Project Specifications
Evaluate actual site conditions, specify remediation.
Evaluate condition of pavement under markings.
Evaluate surface preparation methods and quantities.
Determine amount, type, and degree of marking removal.
Select materials appropriate to the airport environment.
Specify materials arrive in sealed containers.
Verify material types and quantities.

22. Material Selection
Observe the different marking materials already approved for use on airports, noting the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Develop criteria for deciding the best materials suited for a project based on pavement surfaces, existing markings, airport weather conditions, and airport operations.
Review current material testing procedures.

23. Material Selection coatings.
Materials are selected based on the airport environment.
Select materials suited for the pavement or existing
coatings.
Glass beads are selected appropriate to the type and
thickness of coating specified as well as airport needs.
Temporary marking materials are selected for
“removability”.
Materials are sampled directly from equipment guns.

24. Surface Preparation
Create an effective definition of surface preparation.
Develop ways of determining when surface preparation is necessary, if not always.
What equipment is best suited to do the work?

25. Surface Preparation Definition:
Surface preparation is the cleaning of anything that would prevent the bond of the new coating to either
the pavement or existing coatings.

26. “Seventy-five percent of all material failures are attributable to deficient surface preparation and/or application. The unit cost of repair is normally two and one half times higher than the original material application unit cost and frequently results in lower quality due to adverse application conditions. This analysis does not include the potentially staggering cost of down-time and loss of facility production.”
S. G. Pinney & Associates

27. Surface Preparation Loose and poorly bonded paint.
Perform surface preparation before painting to remove:
Loose and poorly bonded paint.
Curing compound on new concrete.
Algae.
Rust discoloration.
Oily substances including jet blast residue.
Heavy rubber build up.
Waterblasting is best method for surface preparation.
Sweep, blow with air, or rinse with water after preparation.
Specify surface preparation as a separate bid item.

28. Surface Preparation Adequate surface preparation will:
Prolong the life of the markings.
Save valuable airport funds.
Prevent paint build-up/pavement damage.
Reduce FOD.

29. Pavement Marking Removal
Define paint removal.
Define different types of removal encountered.
Define the degrees of removal required.
Describe type(s) of equipment and effectiveness
on varying pavement conditions, thickness of and types of existing coatings.
Define pavement damage.

30. Pavement Marking Removal
Definition:
Pavement marking removal is the
mechanical eradication of markings
from the pavement to a specified degree.
There are several reasons airports remove
markings, and each situation requires
different degrees (or percentages) of
eradication.

31. Pavement Marking Removal
Degree of removal is defined in specifications.
Markings are removed, not “blacked” out or obscured.
Equipment is specified based on conditions.
Test strips indicate capability of equipment and operator.
Shotblasting is effective on non-grooved surfaces.
Waterblasting is effective on most surfaces.
The scar is thoroughly cleaned before applying markings.
Waste water and debris are contained, characterized,
and properly disposed of.

32. Pavement Marking Removal
All marking removal methods will leave a scar.
Handbook definition:
Scarring is removal of the texture with some exposed aggregate.

33. Pavement Marking Removal
PRE-EXISTING DAMAGE

34. Pavement Marking Removal
Pavement damage can be subjective.
Handbook definition:
Damage occurs when more than 25 percent of the depth of the nominal-size aggregate diameter is uniformly exposed across the pavement, and some of the aggregates are loose.

36. Application Procedures
Evaluate equipment commonly used.
How is equipment calibration performed to ensure correct material coverage?
Evaluate different airport conditions (i.e., traffic, weather, etc.) and their effect on markings.
Consider types of pavement surfaces.
Evaluate installation of both temporary and permanent markings.
6. Observe clean up/housekeeping procedures.

37. Application Procedures
Adequate surface preparation is performed.
Layout establishes guidelines for applicators.
Pointer systems are used for accurate placement of markings.
Markings are applied from 6 to 36 inches in a uniform film
thickness in a single pass.
Two or more colors are applied simultaneously.
Glass beads are dispensed automatically with the coating.
Pressurized bead systems provide best distribution.
Hand machines are equipped with automatic bead dispensers.

38. Application Procedures
Windscreens are used to prevent material displacement.
A primer coat is applied to uncoated asphalt.
Calibration of material guns is performed.
Close attention is paid to application rates.
Uniform, specified film thickness across marking.
Test lines are applied in appropriate areas or on tar paper.
Documentation of marking operations is maintained to
record location, quantity, weather conditions, etc.
Equipment is well maintained.

39. Tools to Evaluate Markings (Tool Kit)
Wet Film Gauge
Bead Gun Calibration Bucket
Magnifying Lens
Color Chips and/or Colorimeter
LTL Reflectometer
Flashlight
Duct tape
Metal coupons

41. Summary It’s a marking system: Surface Preparation (waterblasting)
Careful
Inspection
Quality
Binders
Quality Glass
Beads
Quality Application

42. Visual Inspection
(daytime)

43. But a nighttime visual inspection reveals uneven reflectivity

44. Acknowledgments: Research Team Members:
Charles D. Carneal, President, Safety Coatings, Inc.
H. Gene Hawkins, Ph.D., Hawkins Engineering
Stephen M. Quilty, A.A.E., Bowling Green State Univ.
Cynthia Randazzo, Scientist, Rohm and Haas Company
Donald Schall, Distinguished Scientist, Rohm and Haas Co.
Michael W. Speidel, Marketing Manager, Sightline, LC
Fred C. Peil, V.P., FOL Tape, LLC

45. Acknowledgments: FAA Cooperative Agreement Manager: Dr. Satish Agrawal
IPRF Cooperative Agreement Program Manager:
Jim Lafrenz 45

46. Acknowledgments: IPRF Technical Panel Members:
Michael Ates, AFCESA (Air Force Civil Engineering Support Agency)
Gilbert Rushton, MDSHA (Maryland State Highway Administration)
Jeffrey Rapol, FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)
Holly Cyrus, FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)
Ron Boeger, Flex-O-Lite, Affiliate of PQ Corporation
Mark Jansen, P.E., The LPA Group, Inc. 46

47. Acknowledgments: The staff of the many airports visited.
The participants of the Roundtable Discussion.
The staff of the airport marking contractors.
The industry experts, including material and
equipment manufacturers. 47