Lightning Protection of Airport Runway
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 19, Issue 4
Abstract
The runway of an international airport on the west coast of India was struck by lightning three times in succession at the rate of once every year. On two occasions the runway proper was damaged, and on the third the road around the periphery of the runway was cracked and a coconut tree burnt. A part of the runway was built on an embankment of a height varying from , and the periphery road was close to the embankment. The strategic importance of the runway and the fact that the vegetation around the embankment provided a sacrificial protection led to making a study of the cause of the problem of lightning strike and working out a solution. That solution consisted of providing suitable lightning protection conforming to international and national standards for the runway, incidentally providing natural lightning protection using tall trees with good biomass for the root system. The problems confronting the airport authorities and the solution to those problems are presented in this paper.
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Acknowledgments
The writer of this paper is thankful to Ms. Zinnia K. M. Nair for her support in preparation of the paper and for comments on the content. The writer also gratefully acknowledges the support provided by Mr. M. K. Yasir, Ms. P. P. Vasantha, and Ms. P. Nimisha in preparing the manuscript.
References
Bureau of Indian Standards (IS). (1989). “Protection of buildings and allied structures against lightning—code of practice.” 2nd revision, IS 2309.
Gopalan, T. V., Rafeeque, N., and Hariharan, C. P. (1997). “A survey of lightning hazards to man and environment.” Proc., National Seminar, Lightning Hazards to Man and Environment, Regional Engineering College, Calicut, India, 1–8.
International Standard (IS). (1990-03). “Protection of structures against lightning.” IEC 61024-1.
Mathrubhumi. (2002). “Damages to runway due to lightning.” Indian Newspaper in Regional Language (Malayalam), Rep. on 8th October, 2002.
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© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Mar 22, 2004
Accepted: Jun 2, 2004
Published online: Nov 1, 2005
Published in print: Nov 2005
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