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. Be sure to share this article with your Resident/Consulting Engineers, a lot of the new language falls into their purview.

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.

620-2.2 – Marking Materials

1) Green Paint

What Changed - A new Federal Standard Color for Green, 34108, has been added.
The Intent - New guidance related to painting paved no-taxi islands, among other things, requires green coatings, hence the new color standard. Green paint would not receive glass beads.
What It Means To You - Your engineer will likely be responsible for specifying color 34108 in contract specifications, your material procurement personnel should order this color for maintenance. It's potentially a lot of square footage, time, and money, added to your marking program.

2) Waterborne, TT-P-1952E, Type III

What Changed - Language was added to clarify what constitutes acrylic resin being 100% cross linking, and the method used to test it.
The Intent - Improves the definition of the Type III paint specifications, particularly the special resins required in them.
What It Means To You - Not much, but understand that the special resins allow this paint to be applied more thickly than the Type I or II paints. However, that is not to say that you can't apply Type III paints at traditional coverage rates (e.g. 115 sqft/gal).

3) Solvent Based, A-A-2886B, Type III

What Changed - A Type III solvent based paint was added to the approved materials list.
The Intent - It was added as a potential solution for temporary markings.
What It Means To You - First, 2886B Type III has glass beads intermixed in the paint. Second, it isn't remotely similar to 1952E, Type III. Third, you would have to have specialized equipment to dispense this paint due to the glass in it. I'm reading the tea leaves here, but perhaps the idea was that this paint could be applied at a reduced rate during temporary marking and supply marginal reflectivity until the permanent application was installed. Either way, it's not a good idea considering all the concerns with equipment, what it can do to asphalt pavements, and (at best) marginal visibility.

4) Preformed Thermoplastic

What Changed - The language "Thermoplastic airport markings will be subject to an Engineering life-cycle cost analysis prior to inclusion in specifications" was added.
The Intent - More tea leaves; I'm assuming the FAA wants Part 139 airports to justify the higher costs of specifying preformed thermoplastic by proving a return on investment over the anticipated life span of the markings.
What It Means To You - This is a best practice - for all contracts. It's a little more work up front, but developing cost benefit analyses to support using any product makes sense.

Questions? Feel free to contact me directly, I'm happy to help where I can. Until next time... when we'll discuss the changes to glass beads.

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