FAA AC 150/5370-10G

The most recent edition of the FAA Advisory Circular 150/5370-10 was released on July 21, 2014. The AC 5370-10G, Item P-620 "Runway and Taxiway Painting", has undergone extensive revision to include several quality control measures for new construction projects. I'm comfortable with most of these items being included in your specifications as they're written, with some exceptions.

This series of articles will address each change in the guidance literature, its intent, and what the new language means to you. You may download your own copy of Item P-620 from our website as a reference by clicking on the icon to the right.

620-2.1 - Materials Acceptance [Added language in italics]

The Contractor shall furnish manufacturer’s certified test reports for materials shipped to the project. The certified test reports shall include a statement that the materials meet the specification requirements. The reports can be used for material acceptance or the Engineer may perform verification testing. The reports shall not be interpreted as a basis for payment. The Contractor shall notify the Engineer upon arrival of a shipment of materials to the site. All material shall arrive in sealed containers 55 gallons or smaller for inspection by the Engineer. Material shall not be loaded into the equipment until inspected by the Engineer.

The Intent

The FAA wants the airport representative (Engineer) to take responsibility for a few things when the contractor arrives at the project site:

Verify material types
Verify material quantities
Verify manufacturer certifications

What It Means To You

The importance of having proper materials on site is fairly obvious, and collecting material certifications to confirm they meet the specification is a best practice.

What may be less obvious is the benefit of knowing initial material quantities. Calculating the total amount of material on site allows the Engineer to 1) ensure there is enough material to complete the job and 2) track usage as the project progresses. However, the added language suggests that totes of paint and beads are not permitted because they are not "55 gallons or smaller". While totes may be applicator-friendly because of their large volume (275 gallons) and ability to quickly supply materials to multiple pieces of equipment, it is more difficult to accurately quantify usage during installation.

55 gallon drums and even 5 gallon buckets make life easier on the Engineer. Those responsible for inspection should be calculating material usage each time the equipment stops to load up with more material. In order to determine how close the paint crew is to the specified coverage rates, they have to inventory what was applied, and can do so easily knowing how many drums/buckets/bags of beads were used.

The coverage rates are well documented in typical project specifications and should be monitored regularly to ensure your airport is getting what it's paying for.

A common rebuttal to using the best practices is that the inspector doesn't have the time to watch the painting contractor this closely... if that's the case, click the QA banner below to make sure someone is protecting your investment.

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