Tab 20 Attachment 15

Attachment 15

CONSTRUCTION PHASING PLAN

AND

OPERATIONAL SAFETY ON THE AIRFIELD DURING CONSTRUCTION

A15.1. Contents. A construction-phasing plan should be included in the contract documents. The purpose of a phasing plan is to establish guidelines and constraints the contractor must follow during construction. It is recommended the construction-phasing plan be submitted for coordination and review at the concept and design stage. At minimum, the plan must be coordinated with Airfield Management, Airfield Operations, Communications, Ground and Flight Safety, Environmental, Security Forces and Logistics.

A15.2. Navy and Marine Corps Requirements. This attachment does not apply to the Navy and Marine Corps other than to provide applicable Navy publications where additional information may be found.

A15.3. Information to be shown on the Construction Phasing Plan. The phasing plan should include, but is not necessarily limited to, the following:

A15.3.1. Phasing. All construction activities will be separated into phases. The phasing plan will show or describe the sequence of construction activity for each phase. The phasing plan will be incorporated into the contractor's management plan and reflected in the progress schedule. The work area limits, barricade, and temporary fencing requirements will be clearly delineated for each phase. The work area limits should include identification of restricted areas requiring escorts and free zones with secure areas.

A15.3.2. Aircraft Operational Areas. The phasing plan will identify active aircraft operational areas and closed pavement areas for each phase.

A15.3.3. Additional Requirements. If required, the location of flagmen, security guards, and other personnel should be shown. These locations should be supplemented in the specifications.

A15.3.4. Temporary Displaced Thresholds. Temporary displaced thresholds and temporary displaced threshold lighting requirements should be shown. These details will be presented in the drawings and supplemented in the specifications.

A15.3.5. Access. Construction vehicle access roads, including access gates and haul routes, will be shown.

A15.3.6. Temporary Marking and Lighting. Temporary pavement marking and lighting details will be presented on the phasing plan. Marking and lighting details are presented in AFI 32-1042 Standards for Marking Airfields, AFI 32-1044, Visual Air Navigation Systems, and TM 5-811-5, Army Aviation Lighting.

A15.3.7. Safety Requirements and Procedures. A section on safety on the airfield during the planned period of construction activity.

A15.4. Other Items to be Shown in the Contract Drawings. The following items are not necessarily a part of the phasing plan, but will be included in the contract documents.

A15.4.1. Storage. The contractor's equipment and material storage locations.

A15.4.2. Parking. The contractor's personnel vehicle parking area and access routes to the work area.

A15.4.3. Buildings. Location of the contractor's offices and plants.

A15.4.4. Disposal. Designated waste and disposal areas. Off-site disposal should be included in the specifications.

A15.5. Maximum Equipment Height. Included in the contract documents should be the maximum height of construction equipment expected to be in use during construction. This information, maximum height of construction equipment, must also be included on the Notice of Proposed Construction, which is to be submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration prior to the start of construction. If the maximum equipment height penetrates any airspace, it will be noted on the contract documents and Notice of Proposed Construction.

A15.6. Operational Safety on the Airfield During Construction. This section provides guidelines concerning the operational safety on airfields during construction, to assist Civil Engineer, Airfield Management, and Safety personnel in maintenance of a safe operating environment. The principal guidelines provided here are taken from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5370-2, Operational Safety on Airports During Construction, but have been modified to better relate to USAF needs and terminology. Construction activity is defined as the presence and movement of personnel, equipment, and materials in any location that could infringe upon the movement of aircraft.

A15.6.1. General Requirements. Construction activities on the airfield, in proximity to, or affecting aircraft operational areas or navigable airspace, should be coordinated with all airfield users prior to initiating such activities. In addition, basic responsibilities and procedures should be developed and disseminated to instruct construction personnel in airport procedures and for monitoring construction activities for conformance with safety requirements. These and other safety considerations should be addressed in the earliest stages of project formulation and incorporated in the contract specifications. Construction areas located within the aircraft movement area requiring special attention by the contractor should be clearly delineated on the project plans. The airfield manager and contract administrator should closely monitor construction activity throughout its duration to ensure continual compliance with safety requirements.

A15.6.2. Formal Notification of Construction Activities. Any entity, including the military, proposing any kind of construction or alteration of objects that may affect navigable airspace, including military airspace, as defined in FAR Part 77, Objects Affecting Navigable Airspace, is required to notify the FAA. FAA Form 7460-1, Notice of Proposed Construction or Alteration, is used for this purpose. (See AC 70/7460-2, Proposed Construction or Alteration of Objects That May Affect the Navigable Airspace.

A15.6.3. Safety Considerations. The following is a partial list of safety considerations which experience indicates will need attention during airport construction.

A15.6.3.1. Minimum disruption of standard operating procedures for aeronautical activity.

A15.6.3.2. Clear routes from firefighting and rescue stations to active airport operations areas.

A15.6.3.3. Chain of notification and authority to change safety oriented aspects of the construction plan.

A15.6.3.4. Initiation, currency, and cancellation of Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs).

A15.6.3.5. Suspension or restriction of aircraft activity on airport operations areas.

A15.6.3.6. Threshold displacement and appropriate temporary lighting and marking.

A15.6.3.7. Installation and maintenance of temporary lighting and marking for closed or diverted aircraft routes on airport operations areas.

A15.6.3.8. Revised vehicular control procedures or additional equipment and manpower.

A15.6.3.9. Marking/lighting of construction equipment.

A15.6.3.10. Storage of construction equipment and materials when not in use.

A15.6.3.11. Designation of responsible representatives of all involved parties and their availability.

A15.6.3.12. Location of construction personnel parking and transportation to and from the work site.

A15.6.3.13. Marking/lighting of construction areas.

A15.6.3.14. Location of construction offices.

A15.6.3.15. Location of contractor's plants.

A15.6.3.16. Designation of waste areas and disposal.

A15.6.3.17. Debris cleanup responsibilities and schedule.

A15.6.3.18. Identification of construction personnel and equipment.

A15.6.3.19. Location of haul roads.

A15.6.3.20. Security control on temporary gates and relocated fencing.

A15.6.3.21. Noise pollution.

A15.6.3.22. Blasting regulation and control.

A15.6.3.23. Dust control.

A15.6.3.24. Location of utilities.

A15.6.3.25. Provision for temporary utilities and/or immediate repairs in the event of disruption.

A15.6.3.26. Location of power and control lines for electronic/visual navigational aids.

A15.6.3.27. Additional security measures required if AFI 31-101, Installation Security Program, is impacted (relocation or reconstruction of fences or security sensors).

A15.6.3.28. Marking and lighting of closed airfield pavement areas.

A15.6.3.29. Coordination of construction activities during the winter with the snow removal plan.

A15.6.3.30. Phasing of work.

A15.6.3.31. Shutdown, relocation and/or protection of airport electronic and or visual navigational aids.

A15.6.3.32. Smoke, steam, and vapor controls.

A15.6.3.33. Notification to crash/fire/rescue and maintenance personnel when working on water lines.

A15.6.3.34. Provide traffic directors/wing walkers, etc., as needed to assure clearance in construction areas.

A15.6.4. Examples of Hazardous and Marginal Conditions. Analyses of past accidents and incidents identified many contributory hazards and conditions. A representative list follows:

A15.6.4.1. Excavation adjacent to runways, taxiways, and aprons.

A15.6.4.2. Mounds or stockpiles of earth, construction material, temporary structures, and other obstacles in proximity to airport operations areas and approach zones.

A15.6.4.3. Runway surfacing projects resulting in excessive lips greater than 1 inch (2.54 cm) for runways and 3 inches (7.62 cm) for edges between old and new surfaces at runway edges and ends.

A15.6.4.4. Heavy equipment, stationary or mobile, operating or idle near airport operations areas or in apron, taxiway, or runway clearance areas.

A15.6.4.5. Proximity of equipment or material, which may degrade, radiated signals or impair monitoring of navigational aids.

A15.6.4.6. Tall but relatively low visibility units such as cranes, drills, and the like in critical areas such as apron, taxiway, or runway clearance areas and approach zones.

A15.6.4.7. Improper or malfunctioning lights or unlighted airport hazards.

A15.6.4.8. Holes, obstacles, loose pavement, trash, and other debris on or near airport operations areas.

A15.6.4.9. Failure to maintain fencing during construction to deter human and animal intrusions into the airport operation areas.

A15.6.4.10. Open trenches alongside operational pavements.

A15.6.4.11. Improper marking or lighting of runways, taxiways, and displaced thresholds.

A15.6.4.12. Attractions for birds such as trash, grass seeding, or ponded water on or near the airfield.

A15.6.4.13. Inadequate or improper methods of marking temporarily closed airport operations areas including improper and unsecured barricades.

A15.6.4.14. Obliterated markings on active operational areas.

A15.6.4.15: Encroachments to apron, taxiway, or runway clearance areas, improper ground vehicle operations, and unmarked or uncovered holes and trenches in the vicinity of aircraft operating surfaces are the three most recurring threats to safety during construction.

A15.6.5. Vehicles on the Airfield. Vehicular activity on the airfield movement areas should be kept to a minimum. Where vehicular traffic on airfield operational areas cannot be avoided, it should be carefully controlled. A basic guiding principle is that the aircraft always has the right-of-way. Some aspects of vehicle control and identification are discussed below. It should be recognized; however, that every airfield presents different vehicle requirements and problems and therefore needs individualized solutions so that vehicle traffic does not endanger aircraft operations.

A15.6.5.1. Visibility. Vehicles, which routinely operate on airport operations areas, should be marked and or flagged for high daytime visibility and, if appropriate, lighted for nighttime operations. Vehicles, which are not marked and lighted, may require an escort by one that is equipped with temporary marking and lighting devices. (See USAF TO 36-1-191, Technical and Managerial Reference for Motor Vehicle Maintenance, and Federal Aviation Administration Attachment 15 (FAA) Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5210-5, Painting, Marking, and Lighting of Vehicles Used on an Airport.)

A15.6.5.2. Identification. It is usually desirable to be able to visually identify specific vehicles from a distance. It is recommended that radio equipped vehicles which routinely operate on airfields be permanently marked with identifying characters on the sides and roof. Vehicles needing intermittent identification could be marked with tape or with magnetically attached markers. Such markers are commercially available. However, select markers that can perhaps be mounted inside the vehicle or ones that can be tethered to the vehicle so they do not fall off during vehicle operation and present potential foreign object damage (FOD) to aircraft.

A15.6.5.3. Noticeability. Construction vehicles and equipment should have automatic signaling devices to sound an alarm when moving in reverse.

A15.6.5.4. Movement. The control of vehicular activity on airfield operations areas is of the highest importance. Airfield management is responsible for developing procedures and providing training regarding vehicle operations to ensure aircraft safety during construction. This requires coordination with airfield users and air traffic control. Consideration should be given to the use of two-way radio, signal lights, traffic signs, flagman, escorts, or other means suitable for the particular airfield. The selection of a frequency for two-way radio communications between construction contractor vehicles and the air traffic control (ATC) tower must be coordinated with the ATC tower chief. At non-tower airfields, two-way radio control between contractor vehicles and fixed-base operators or other airport users should avoid frequencies used by aircraft. It should be remembered that even with the most sophisticated procedures and equipment, systematic training of vehicle operators is necessary to achieve safety. Special consideration should be given to training intermittent operators, such as construction workers, even if escort service is being provided.

A15.6.6. Inspection. Frequent inspections should be made by the airfield manager, Civil Engineering contract inspectors, and other representatives during critical phases of the work to ensure that the contractor is following the prescribed safety procedures and that there is an effective litter control program.

A15.6.7. Special Safety Requirements During Construction. Use the following guidelines to help develop your safety plan for construction on your airfield.

A15.6.7.1. Runway Ends. Construction equipment should not penetrate the 50:1 approach departure clearance surface.

A15.6.7.2. Runway Edges. Construction activities normally should not be permitted within 200 feet of the runway centerline. However, construction may be permitted within 200 feet of the runway centerline on a case-by-case basis with a temporary waiver approved by the installation commander.

A15.6.7.3. Taxiways and Aprons. Normally, construction activity setback lines should be located at a distance to provide the minimum wingtip clearance required from Table 6.1, Items 5 or 6 as appropriate, plus one-half the wingspan of the largest predominant aircraft that will use the taxi route from the centerline of the active taxiway or apron. However, construction activity may be permitted up to the taxiway and aprons in use provided that the activity is approved by the installation commander and NOTAMs are issued; marking and lighting provisions are implemented; and it is determined the height of equipment and materials is safely below any part of the aircraft using the airfield operations areas which might overhang those areas. Alternate taxi routes and procedures for wing-walkers should be included in the safety plan if adequate wingtip clearance cannot be provided.

A15.6.7.4. Excavation And Trenches. Along runways, excavations and open trenches may be permitted up to 200 feet from the centerline of an active runway, provided they are adequately signed, lighted and marked. In addition, excavation and open trenches may be permitted within 200 feet of the runway centerline on a case-by-case basis, that is, cable trenches, pavement tie-ins, etc., with the approval of the installation commander. Along taxiways and aprons, excavation and open trenches may be permitted up to the edge of structural taxiway and apron pavements provided the drop-off is adequately signed, lighted and marked.

A15.6.7.5. Stockpiled Materials. Extensive stockpiled materials should not be permitted within the construction activity areas defined in the preceding four sections.

A15.6.7.6. Maximum Equipment Height. FAA Form 7460-1, Notice of Proposed Construction shall be submitted when equipment is expected to penetrate any of the surfaces described in attachment 6.

A15.6.7.7. Proximity of Construction Activity to Navigational Aids. Construction activity in the vicinity of navigational aids requires special considerations. The effect of the activity and its permissible distance and direction from the aid must be evaluated in each instance. A coordinated evaluation by the AM, CE, SE, and SC is necessary. Particular attention needs to be given to stockpiling materials as well as to the movement and parking of equipment, which may interfere with line-of-sight from the tower or interfere with electronic emissions.

A15.6.8. Construction Vehicle Traffic. With respect to vehicular traffic, aircraft safety during construction is likely to be endangered by four principle causes: increased traffic volume, nonstandard traffic patterns, vehicles without radio communication and marking, and operators untrained in airfield procedures. Because each construction situation differs, airfield management must develop and coordinate a construction vehicle traffic plan with airport users, air traffic control and the appropriate construction engineers and contractors. The plan, when signed by all participants should become a part of the contract. Airfield Management and Safety are responsible for coordinating and enforcing the plan.

A15.6.9. Limitation on Construction. Open flame welding or torch cutting operations should be prohibited unless adequate fire and safety precautions are provided and have been approved by the fire chief. All vehicles are to be parked and serviced behind the construction restriction line and/or in an area designated by the contract. Open trenches, excavations, and stockpiled material at the construction site should be prominently marked with orange flags and lighted with flashing yellow light units during hours of restricted visibility and/or darkness. Under no circumstances are flare pots to be near aircraft operating areas. Stockpiled material should be constrained in a manner to prevent dislocation that may result from aircraft jet blast or wind. Material should not be stored near aircraft operating areas or movement areas.

A15.6.10. Marking and Lighting Closed or Hazardous Areas on Airports. To ensure adequate marking and lighting is provided for the duration of the project, the construction specifications should include a provision requiring the contractor to have a person on call 24 hours a day for emergency maintenance of airport hazard lighting and barricades. See AFI 32-1042 and ETL 94-01, and AFMAN 32-1076 for marking and lighting requirements for closed pavement areas.

A15.6.11. Temporary Runway Threshold Displacement. Identification of temporary runway threshold displacements should be provided as indicated in AFI 32-1042 and AFMAN 32-1076.

These include additional lights and markings. The extent of the marking and lighting should be directly related to the duration of the displacement as well as the type and level of aircraft activity. These visual aids should be placed to provide an unobstructed Approach Departure Clearance Surface with a 3 meter (10 foot) buffer between the surface and the tallest equipment in the construction zone, and a 304.8 meter (1,000 foot) long overrun area on the departure end.