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42.1 Introduction It is important that airport management officials, staff, and others responsible for maintaining airports have an appreciation of what preventive maintenance is, its importance, and how to go about developing and implementing a PM program at their airport. This chapter provides an over view of preventive maintenance for general aviation airports and will answer questions such as: ⢠What is preventive maintenance and how does it relate to other types of maintenance? ⢠Why is preventive maintenance important? ⢠What entities are involved with preventive maintenance? ⢠How does preventive maintenance relate to other airport plans and programs? Chapter 3 will provide information about the development of a preventive maintenance program for airports, and Chapter 4 will provide information about PM procedures. 2.2 What Is Preventive Maintenance? Most airports perform some type of maintenance on their facilities. Generally, the operating conditions of runways and airfield lighting systems are monitored regularly by someone. If there is loose pavement on the runway, a light is not working, or a hangar door will not open, someone quickly addresses the problem. However, few airports have comprehensive preventive main tenance programs that include the regular assessment of the condition of infrastructure systems and scheduled maintenance of the many components of each airfield system. The maintenance of general aviation airports is frequently divided into the following types: ⢠Operational. There are certain aspects of operating an airport that require maintenance activities due to weather, environmental conditions, and electrical/mechanical manufacturerâs calibration of equipment. Snow and foreign objects must sometimes be removed from pave ments. Lighting systems and approach aids for pilots must be calibrated. These are examples of operational requirements that require maintenance activities and may affect the condition of infrastructure. These types of operational activities are generally driven by regulatory and airfield safety requirements and are discussed in detail in sources such as FAA Advisory Cir culars. Operational maintenance will not be a subject of this guidebook. ⢠Reactive. Reactive maintenance is basically characterized by an attitude of use it until it breaks or fix it when it breaks. A perceived advantage to this type of maintenance is that manpower and capital costs are not incurred until something actually breaks. The reality is that many general aviation airports are primarily in a reactive mode and are spending more to repair equip ment than they would be spending with a preventive maintenance approach. While waiting for something to break (e.g., an HVAC unit), the life of the equipment is shortened, resulting C H A P T E R 2 Preventive Maintenanceâ An Overview
Preventive MaintenanceâAn Overview 5 in earlier replacement. This results in an increased capital cost in the long run. Also, some facilities do not break in a traditional sense, and their outright failure can be significant to an airportâs mission. For example, joints in a runway pavement that are not kept sealed can result in water seeping into the pavement base structure and eventually causing serious pavement failure. This might require expensive rehabilitation or replacement of pavement systems. Sim ply reacting to this type of failure is not acceptable to the airport user or the airportâs budget. Airports cannot staff or plan for reactive maintenance. Multiple system failures will reduce staff availability, affect services provided to tenants and customers, reduce revenue, and may even require closure of the airport. ⢠Preventive. Preventive maintenance can be defined as those actions performed to detect, pre clude, or mitigate the degradation of an infrastructure system or its components. Preventive maintenance involves routine scheduled activities intended to keep a system performing at its best, with goals of preventing its breakdown and extending its useful life. Preventive maintenance has several advantages over those of a reactive program. By performing pre ventive maintenance on a facility as envisioned when it was designed, the full design life of the facility may be realized. Preventive maintenance (e.g., lubrication, filter changes, sealing pavement joints) will generally help equipment run more efficiently and will ensure that infra structure functions more safely and efficiently. This results in reduced costs and improved user satisfaction. Airports can plan and assign staff appropriately by applying scheduled pre ventive maintenance. ⢠Predictive. Predictive maintenance is an approach that involves testing and monitoring of equipment and facilities to detect symptoms that are out of specification and, thus, predict ing potential failures. This approach is especially useful for vehicles and equipment. Some airports use a mix of preventive maintenance and predictive maintenance standards to ensure minimal impact on the operational capability of the airport. For purposes of this guidebook, preventive maintenance will include some aspects of predictive maintenance. 2.3 Why Is Preventive Maintenance Important? As indicated previously, one of the purposes of preventive maintenance is to extend the life of a facility and avoid incurring capital replacement costs prematurely. This allows capital funds to be available for other projects such as improvements or expansion rather than required reha bilitations or replacements. For this reason and many others, it makes good sense for airports to adopt a preventive maintenance program. These reasons are discussed in the following and include safety, economics, reduction in energy usage, system longevity, legal/regulatory issues, environmental impacts, and community marketing. Safety. Airport maintenance directly contributes to keeping airports and their facilities safe for users. Pilots expect pavements to be smooth and to drain well and expect clear approach paths, pavement marking to be legible, and airfield lighting systems to be reliable. Pre ventive main tenance helps ensure that those systems used by pilots are functioning properly. Similarly, wellÂmaintained fueling facilities and airport vehicles help improve safety for their users. Economics. Preventive maintenance extends the life of facilities and avoids costly and early replacement or rehabilitation. Preventive maintenance may result in the identification of the need for timely rehabilitation before a system fails or before more costly rehabilitation is needed. An example of this is with pavement rehabilitation. Pavement performance and the economic impact of waiting too long for rehabilitation are shown in Figure 2.1. Another example of how a poorly maintained facility can adversely affect an airportâs financial wellÂbeing is a hangar that is rusted so badly that aircraft cannot be stored in it, resulting in lost hangar rental revenue (see Figure 2.2).
6 Preventive Maintenance at General Aviation Airports The other reasons discussed here for preventive maintenance have an economic effect too. An aircraft or personal accident related to poor airport maintenance is not only tragic but can be costly to the airport owner. Increased energy usage caused by poorly maintained electrical systems is also costly. An airport that is so poorly maintained that it drives away a corporation that wishes to base an operation there results in an adverse economic impact on the community from the loss of jobs and tax revenue. It is difficult to quantify the specific monetary value of preventive maintenance for all infra structure. The type of maintenance, the nature of the infrastructure, and various components of each system vary widely (e.g., roof, HVAC, motors, door hinges, pavement joints, drainage swales). However, the value of preventive maintenance is generally intuitive. For example, pave ments typically last their design life of 20 to 30 years if properly maintained. Proper maintenance may include surface treatments every few years, which over the design life might total $1 million, followed by a major rehabilitation or reconstruction at the end of the life, which could cost $2 million to $5 million for a general aviation airport runway. If the surface treatments are not done over the life of the pavement, a large rehabilitation or reconstruction would likely be needed at 10 to 15 years. So, over the course of the life of this runway, the additional cost would be $2 Figure 2.1. Typical pavement life cycle. Source: FAA Central Region, Guidance â Airport Obligations: Pavement Maintenance. Figure 2.2. Rusted hangar not usable for aircraft storage. Source: Delta Airport Consultants, Inc.
Preventive MaintenanceâAn Overview 7 million to $5 million for the premature failure of the pavement caused by the lack of preventive maintenance. In addition to this pavement example, a roof can be used to generally demonstrate the value of maintenance. The cost of maintaining a roof is often much less than letting a roof prematurely fail, causing interior building damage and possible adverse impacts on the cus tomer. This is particularly true in the earlier years of a roofâs life, but late in a roofâs life it may be more costÂbeneficial to replace the roof. Reduction in Energy Usage. Poorly maintained electrical and mechanical systems lead to the increased use of energy. Airfield lighting systems with aging cable and loss of energy will drive electrical bills up. This can be managed through an effective preventive maintenance program. Similarly, poorly maintained HVAC units or weatherproofing in a general aviation terminal build ing will increase energy costs. These excess energy costs are ongoing and can become significant over time. System Longevity. The life of many airport infrastructure systems can be extended with proper preventive maintenance. Examples of PM in this area include pavement crack sealing, servicing HVAC equipment, regular oil changes for airport vehicles, checking and replacing defective airfield lighting system components, greasing hangar door components, and keeping drainage swales free of debris so pavements can drain properly. Legal/Regulatory Issues. There are legal, regulatory, and contractual reasons for preventive maintenance. Airport owners wish to reduce their liability and risks, and good preventive maintenance of facilities can help in this regard. Tenants with leases of airport land or han gars expect wellÂmaintained airport facilities, and often the lease itself addresses the airport ownerâs responsibility. State and federal capital improvement grants include contractual obligations that require airport owners to keep the airport safe, operational, and well maintained. FAA grants specifically require airports to have a pavement preventive main tenance program. FAA grant assurances become airport obligations when airports accept federal funds for airport development. Grant obligations require airport improvements to be maintained for their design life, typically 20 years. Failure to comply with grant assurances can significantly affect an airportâs ability to receive future federal funds. Environmental Impacts. Some airport infrastructure can adversely affect the environment if not wellÂmaintained. Examples are drainage systems that start backing up and allow poor quality runoff to environmentally sensitive areas. Fuel leakage from poorly maintained fueling facilities will harm the environment. Most communities and states have environmental regu lations that directly affect aspects of an airportâs preventive maintenance requirements. Community Marketing. An airport is often the front door to a community. If it is well maintained and attractive in appearance, it conveys a message that the community protects its investments and cares about those who use its facilities. Businesses deliberating about where to base themselves not only look at location and the ability of the airport to serve their needs, but they will also consider the condition of the airport. 2.4 What Entities Are Involved with Preventive Maintenance? Preventive maintenance is not simply a program or responsibility placed on the shoulders of the airport manager to handle alone. Other entities help with direction, resources, and knowl edge. Preventive maintenance is the joint responsibility of the airport owner (e.g., city/county), the policyÂmaking board, airport manager, and airport maintenance staff. Although airport management typically makes recommendations or requests certain resources, the airport owner and policyÂmaking board normally approve the budget and other resources for a preventive maintenance program. Airport management and staff then execute the program.
8 Preventive Maintenance at General Aviation Airports Airports owned by a city or county often have access to nonÂairport resources for some main tenance activities. These activities include motor vehicle fleet maintenance, public works staff to help maintain HVAC or buildings, and routine maintenance such as lawn mowing and cleaning ditches. When nonÂairport staff can help with these tasks, airport staff can better focus on those tasks related to airportÂunique systems such as airfield lighting. State departments of transportation and aviation offices may be able to help with maintenance activities. Some states have robust programs to help airports; others are unable to do much other than provide guidance. A strong state/airport partnership can help significantly with an airport maintenance program. These partnerships include a state funding program, advisory help, and an active state presence by state officials through an inspection program. Following is a list of some of the activities that states may offer to help general aviation airports with their maintenance programs. ⢠State airport inspections. ⢠Grant programs that include eligible maintenance work. ⢠Development of a formal pavement management plan with specific goals and funding to improve pavement condition. ⢠Supporting airport efforts to gain FAA funding for work such as pavement and lighting rehabilitation. ⢠Providing airports with a fixed amount of funds each year to use for the maintenance of facilities. ⢠State purchase of crackÂsealing equipment for airports to use. ⢠StateÂsponsored training for airport staff. Examples are pavement maintenance and storm water management. ⢠Statewide contracts for activities such as airfield marking, pavement joint sealing, and airfield electrical repairs. Doing this on a statewide basis helps to reduce the cost for individual airports. ⢠Combining the maintenance work of several airports under a single FAA grant coordinated and sponsored by the state. An example is rehabilitation of rotating beacons at several airports in the state. ⢠State aviation office coordination with other state agencies for the use of equipment to perform maintenance activities at airports. Some states offer many of these activities in their programs; some offer little or none. Airport officials should contact their state aviation office directly or search the state website for more specific information about what maintenance activities their state will help fund. The FAA Airport Improvement Program is limited in what it can fund for airport mainte nance. The work that is eligible for funding depends on current congressional authorization and is normally limited in available funding. Projects such as needed pavement and lighting rehabilitation may also be eligible. Airports are encouraged to work with both their FAA and state aviation offices to determine how they may get help. Tenants and airport users can be an important source of information about the condition of facilities. A tenant that rents an airportÂowned hangar should be encouraged to let airport management know when some aspect of the hangar needs attention. An example is bearings on a door that are becoming noisy. However, airport management still needs to make periodic inspections of the hangar. Airports should have a process whereby pilots can report conditions to the airport through the fixedÂbase operator servicing them. Consultants help airports with engineering design and preparation of plans and specifications for the more complex maintenance work. Consultants can also provide help to airports in setting up an airport maintenance program.
Preventive MaintenanceâAn Overview 9 2.5 Principles of a Preventive Maintenance Program There are certain principles that help guide the development of an airportâs preventive main tenance program. These principles provide direction to an airport that has no program and will help airports evaluate and improve existing programs. 1. The preventive maintenance program should be planned, developed, and executed with a focus on the very reasons for having such a program, as discussed earlier in this chapter. These reasons include keeping the airport as safe as possible, preserving and increasing system longevity as economically as possible, meeting legal and regulatory requirements, mitigating negative environmental impacts, and embracing the notion that the airport is the front door to the community. 2. Maintenance objectives need to be fully integrated with the overall airport objectives, mis sion, and plans. In other words, PM cannot be done independently or in a vacuum without consideration for the operational needs of the airport or the airportâs capital improvement plans. For example, a decision to reseal runway pavement joints should take into consideration future plans for a runway rehabilitation as well as the need to keep the runway open to users. 3. Maintenance objectives and standards should be established for each facility. These standards should include both a periodic condition assessment and regular maintenance activities with schedules, checklists, tracking, and recordkeeping. 4. Appropriate resources should be committed to perform the preventive maintenance. This includes funding, time, personnel, equipment, tools, and materials. Maintenance staff and departments should be well organized, and all preventive maintenance activities and followÂup needs should be reported and tracked. Staff should be appropriately trained and fully understand their responsibilities. This includes training related to job safety and handsÂon maintenance skills. Resources should be available to establish and maintain a system to identify, track, and receive notification of scheduled preventive maintenance measures. This system and the maintenance should be continued through staff and seasonal changes. 5. Airport management should include maintenance personnel in the early stages of decision making when purchasing major equipment or designing new infrastructure. Maintenance personnel can help ensure that systems are designed and constructed to facilitate effective maintenance, recurring maintenance costs are minimized, and facility life is as long as it can reasonably be. 6. The PM program should include those activities and resources necessary for the airport to comply with local, state, and federal regulations. For example, there are environmental regu lations, fuel storage regulations, airport operation regulations for 14 CFR Part 139 certificated airports, federal labor laws, local permits, and many other local, state, and federal requirements that need to be met.