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COVID-19: Aircraft long term storage

Asset preservation
This document is intended to support
aircraft operators and airports which
are facing medium to long-term aircraft
storage issues.

This initial issue could evolve following

information received, or arising from
specific problems/questions
V=54knts
Runways and taxiways are designed for
different purposes than aprons and parking
areas.
In particular they are not designed for
accommodating static loads, therefore aircraft
storage on those areas increases the risk of
permanent deformations.
It is estimated that 90% of aprons and aircraft
parking areas worldwide are made of concrete
slabs (PCC) to minimize the risk of permanent
deformation when they are subjected to static
loads.

RECOMMENDATION FOR PAVEMENT (STORAGE AREA) PRESERVATION

• Aircraft storage area: It is recommended to prefer areas covered by Portland Cement
Concrete (PCC) / Rigid pavements.
• Flexible-type pavements (Asphalt Concrete coating) are not usually intended for parking
areas. They are more sensitive than concrete paving to static loads and also more
1
sensitive to high temperatures due to bitumen’s rheological properties

Aircraft long time storage
may be considered as an
OVERLOAD if the storage
area was not designed for
this purpose. In those
cases, pavement analysis
should be performed.
Bituminous materials have a viscoelastic
behaviour and their modulus of elasticity depends
of the temperature and the load frequency/speed
(bituminous material rheological properties).
Consequently, the slower the speed, the lower the
(complex) modulus of elasticity and the higher the
shear strain at the bottom of the bituminous layer.
For this reason, parking and aprons (where
aircraft operate at low to very low speed) are
usually made of concrete slabs. The strength of
taxiways (moderate speed section) is greater than
runways (except in some cases on runway
thresholds), but lower than parking/aprons which
are purposely designed for accommodating static
aircraft loads.
It should then be understood that taxiways
subjected to static aircraft loads are more
sensitive to permanent deformation than those
subjected to moderate or high speed loadings.
If some pavement distresses have not
been identified prior to the return to
service, the risk will be transferred to
the aircraft in terms of potential damage
to landing gear and tyres.
Main Considerations
 When considering where to park aircraft,
make sure that the pavement has adequate
strength to accommodate the loads, and avoid
positions close to seal cracks,
 Check first ACN/PCN compatibility (or any
other rating system) with aircraft operating weight.
Note that overload operations can be permitted up
to +10% of the reported PCN, provided that the
pavement does not exhibit any sign of distress or
failure. “Overload” means any load larger than that
for which the pavement was intended to serve, or
any significant increase in the number of load
applications,
 When possible, make the aircraft as light as
possible with the most forward CG position
permissible, without jeopardizing its resistance to
wind. In those cases, it is preferable to moor the
aircraft by adding concrete blocks (or steel plates)
close to, and attached to the Nose and Main
Landing Gears by means of a sling system, rather
than by adding extra ballasts in the aircraft which
may produce an aircraft ACN exceeding the
reported PCN.
By doing so, aircraft mooring is ensured through
additional loads which are not added to the
existing aircraft individual wheel loads. The weight
of the concrete blocks should be no more than 5
tons each, and the contact surface no less than
one square meter. Interface between ground and
blocks should be provided by an intermediate
material ensuring an adequate friction between
each surface (in particular in wet condition) and
protecting the pavement surface integrity,
 Airports are encouraged to perform a
technical analysis before overloading pavements
by more than 10% relative to the reported
pavement strength. According to the pavement
data available, Linear Elastic Analysis (LEA) is
recommended to obtain the best estimate of the
additional stresses or strains that static aircraft will
produce on pavement during the aircraft storage
period.
Airbus Best Practices for aircraft storage on
taxiways and runways
Aircraft positioning: It is advised to offset the aircraft position from the pavement centerline
(the optimum offset value being a function of the traffic regularly operating on the pavement),
thus using pavement sections that are theoretically under-used by the regular traffic.
The interactions with past traffic mix would therefore be reduced, and the impact on the
pavement lifespan minimized.

Perform a complete pavement inspection before and after use as a storage area
Potential distresses may include (but are not limited to): Depressions under wheels on flexible
pavements, ripples and bumps, damage from fuel spillage or other hydraulic fluids (on those
areas, protection should be provided by a solvent resistant surface), puncturing in case of
inadequate pavement design.

Perform a daily routine inspection and when possible move the aircraft in case of new
signs of pavement distress or failure.

Clearance between aircraft should be sufficient to allow the repositioning of an aircraft in

the event of surface distress or failure (greater than ICAO standards when possible).

For hot climate regions, note any significant increase of temperature which could affect
the pavement surface. In those cases, it is recommended to deflate the tyres, but not more
than tyre deflection as recommended by tyre manufacturers.

Note that deflated tyres reduce the normal force per unit area by spreading the wheel
load over a larger contact area, but theoretically have NO EFFECT ON FRICTION.
Indeed, friction is proportional to the normal force (Fs = μs x Fn) of the asphalt acting upon
the aircraft tires. This force is equal to the weight which is distributed over each tire when the
aircraft is on ground. This force can be stated as Pressure x Area. For a low tire pressure, the
contact area is larger but the force per unit area is smaller and reciprocally. The friction force
is therefore the same regardless of the tire contact area.

In any case, the return to service concerns both the aircraft and the pavement. If some
pavement distresses have not been identified prior to the return to service, the risk will be
transferred to the aircraft (LG component failures, tires wear etc.…) with abnormally bumpy
taxiways/runways. In those cases, the required repairs to pavement would affect
operations with consequential difficulties for the return to service and/or alter safety of
operations.

If some pavement distresses have not

been identified prior to the return to
service, the risk will be transferred to the
aircraft
In those cases, the required repairs
would affect operations with
consequential difficulties for the
return to service and/or alter safety of
operations.

14, April, 2020

COVID-19: Aircraft long term storage – Airport asset preservation

Your Contacts
Cyril FABRE
Head of Airfield Pavement
Airport Operations Central Function
Cyril.fabre@airbus.com
François-Xavier JUBIN
Director
Airbus Consulting Airports
francois-xavier.jubin@airbus.com
Airports Council International (ACI) World
800 rue du Square Victoria
Suite 1810, PO Box 302
Montréal, Québec, H4Z 1G8
Canada
E-mail: info@aci.aero
Website: www.aci.aero