AIRPORT PLANNING

AND DESIGN

TAXIWAY DESIGN
TAXIWAY DESIGN

TAXIWAY:
Taxiway provides access to the aircrafts from
the runways to the loading apron or service
hangar.

Taxiway

Runway

Taxiway

Runway and Taxiway

Factors controlling Taxiway Layout

Arrangements :
Taxiways should be arranged that the aircrafts
which have just landed & taxiing towards
apron should not interfere with the aircrafts
taxiing for take-off.
Busy airports :
The taxiway should be located at various
points along the runway so that the landing
aircraft leaves the runway as early as possible.
Such taxiways are called exit taxiways.

High turn of speed:

Exit taxiways should be designed for high turn
off speeds of aircrafts so that runway
occupancy time gets reduced.
Route :
The route should be a shortest distance from
the apron to the runway end.
Crossing:
Intersection of taxiway & runway should be
avoided.

GEOMETRIC DESIGN STANDARDS

Length of taxiway
Width of taxiway
Width of safety area
Longitudinal gradient
Transverse gradient
Rate of change of longitudinal gradient
Sight distance
Turning radius

Geometric Design Standards For Taxiway

Length should be as short as practicable.
Width lower than the runway width. This is because the
aircraft run on the taxiway are not airborne and the speed of

the aircraft on taxiway is lower. Hence pilot can easily ma

oeuvre the aircraft over a smaller width of taxiway.
Width of safety area it includes width of taxiway pavement
plus shoulder on either side. The width of the shoulder is 7.5m
on each side and are paved with light strength material.

Turning radius
Whenever there is change in direction of a taxiway, a

horizontal curve is provided. The curve is so designed that the

aircraft can negotiate it without significantly reducing the
speed. Circular curve with larger radius is suitable for this
purpose.
The radius is given by R = V2/127f
where; R is radius in m, V is speed in kmph and f is 0.13.
Subsonic jet transport min. 120m.
Supersonic jet transport min. 180m.

 According to Horonjeff the radius of the taxiway should be so

provided that the distance of the oleo strut of the near by main

gear is not less than 6m from the pavement edge.

Horonjeff formula:R = (0.388W2) / (T/2 S)
Where;R is the radius of the taxiway in meterW is
the wheel base of aircraft in meter T is the Width of taxiway
pavement in meterS is the distance between midway point

of the main gears and the edge of the taxiway pavement in

meter.

 If the existing airport has to be upgraded to accommodate

supersonic transport, it may be feasible to widen the pavement
rather than increasing the radius.
Widening is done by providing a compound curve of radii
R1and R2. the value of R1and R2 is obtained using;

R2= R ((0.388W2/ R) + S)
If exp. ((0.388W2/ R) + S) < T/2, no widening is needed. If it is >
T/2, the radius R1 is R1=(Dr2+(T/2)+0.3R- R22-RT/2(R- R2)
where Dr = 3W-0.4R
if Dr<W then use W instead of Dr

TAXIWAY GEOMETRICS AS PER ICAO

Classifica
tion by
ICAO

Taxiway width

Max.
Longitudinal
gradient (%)

Mini.
Transverse
gradient (%)

Max. rate of
change of
longitudinal
gradient per
30m (100ft)
in %

Meter

Feet

22.5

75

1.5

1.5

1.0

22.5

75

1.5

1.5

1.0

15.0

50

3.0

1.5

1.0

9.9

33

3.0

2.0

1.2

7.5

25

3.0

2.0

1.2

Safety area
width

Turfed or
paved
shoulders
are not
mandatory
but are
suggested
if need
exists.

EXIT TAXIWAYS
Factors controlling location of exit taxiways:
Air traffic control
Location of runway
Number of exit taxiways
Exit speed
Type of aircrafts
Weather conditions
Topographical features
Pilot variability

AVERAGE ACCEPTANCE RATE

Optimum location of Exit Taxiways:

ARRIVAL RATE

BALANCE
PT.

WAVE-OFFS

ACCEPTANCE
RATE

ARRIVAL RATE

The acceptance rate of runway with a system of

exit taxiways = Arrival rate of aircrafts

 The point beyond which the acceptance rate

deviates from the ideal relationship of equal
arrival and acceptance rate is balance point.
Balance point occurs when the runway is
loaded to its full capacity and such situation is
runway saturation.
At higher arrival rates, the runway cannot
accept all aircrafts and hence few are waved
off.
For a given set of conditions, the exit taxiways
should yield the highest possible rate of
acceptance. Such location of exit taxiway is
Optimum location.

Design of exit taxiways:

Angle of turn
Compound curve
Exit speed
Length L1 and L2
Occupancy time
Shape of taxiway
Stopping sight distance
Turning radius

Fillets :
These are provided at the junction or intersection of
two or more number of traffic ways.
If adequate fillets are not provided, one of the main
gears of aircraft ,generally the one having large
wheel base, is likely to go off the pavement on to the
shoulder.
ICAO the radius of the fillet should not be less than
the width of taxiway.
Correct requirement of fillet area can actually be
determined by the model testing.

Separation clearance

Holding apron or Run up or Warm up paids :

Holding apron are generally provided at the end of runway and
made sufficiently large so that , if one aircraft is unable to take
off because of some defect in machinery , another aircraft can
by pass.
The size of holding apron depends on the peak hour aircrafts
movements, the aircraft size and its ground manoeuvring
characteristics.
The clearance of wing span -7.5 m.
The entry in to runway should be made with an angle of 90
degree.

Holding apron

Turn around or By pass taxiway :