Augustine Ubaldi in The Press Democrat on Airport Runway Maintenance
After an investigation raised concerns about speed bumps on the runway at the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in California, reporters from The Press Democrat reached out to Airport and Railway Engineering Expert, Augustine Ubaldi, for insight:
He explained that unlike when driving a car, pilots generally don’t have the ability to slow down or drive around a bump when taking off and landing. Landing speeds for Boeing 737s are about 150 miles an hour, he said, adding that on takeoff the pilots are pushing the engine at full throttle.
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He added that the FAA’s runway design standards call for an expected 20-year life. He said runways can last that long depending on how they are built and maintained, but may need rehabilitation after a decade.
“If you get 10 years out of asphalt pavement, you're doing good,” Ubaldi said. “This is the time when people start saying, ‘maybe we ought to consider repaving this runway.’”
Read the full article:
Internal emails show Sonoma County airport workers concerned over cracked, sinking runway
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