What are installation quality checkpoints?
Planned checks made at each stage of an AGL installation — base can, cable, connectors, fixture and earthing — so faults are found before the work is buried and the circuit is signed off before it is energised.
Installation quality checkpoints are the inspections and tests made at set stages of an installation, each checking the work against the drawings, the specification and the manufacturer’s instructions. Much AGL work is buried or closed up soon after it is done, so a fault missed at the time can mean digging up finished work later.
The usual stages are the base can, the cable and duct, the connectors, the fixture and the earthing. At a hold point work stops until the inspector has checked it and released it, so grouting and backfilling do not start early. Tests such as continuity and insulation resistance prove the circuit, and the results go on the inspection record with the cable identification and as-built drawings. Only when the record is signed off is the installation handed on for testing and commissioning.
- Plan. Agree the checkpoints and hold points with the specification and the inspector before work starts.
- Inspect each stage. Check the base can, the cable and duct, the connectors, the fixture and the earthing against the drawings and manufacturer’s instructions.
- Hold. Do not grout, backfill or close up until the inspector has released the hold point.
- Test. Carry out the continuity and insulation-resistance tests the specification requires and note the results.
- Record. Complete the inspection sheets, cable identification and as-built drawings while the work is still visible.
- Sign off. Sign off the installation and hand it on for testing and commissioning before the circuit is energised.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1What are installation quality checkpoints in airfield ground lighting?
They are planned inspections and tests made at set stages of an AGL installation, such as the base can, the cable and duct, the connectors, the fixture and the earthing. Each checks the work against the drawings, the specification and the manufacturer’s instructions before the next stage covers it up.
Q2Why check at each stage rather than only at the end?
Much AGL work is buried or closed up: base cans are grouted, cables go into ducts and are backfilled, and connectors are sealed. A fault found at the end can mean digging up finished work. Checking each stage finds faults while they are still cheap and easy to put right.
Q3What is a hold point?
A hold point is a stage in the sequence where work stops until the inspector has checked it and signed it off. The next stage, such as backfilling or grouting, does not start until the hold point is released.
Q4What is checked on the base can and the fixture?
For the base can: position, level, depth, grouting and drainage. For the fixture: alignment, elevation against the pavement, fixings tightened to the specified torque, and frangible parts correctly fitted. The figures come from the project specification and the manufacturer.
Q5Which tests prove the cables and connectors?
Continuity and insulation-resistance tests, as the specification requires, together with a visual check that connectors are made correctly, sealed and identified. Test results are recorded against each circuit.
Q6What records are kept?
Signed inspection sheets, test results, cable identification and as-built drawings. They show the installation was checked, give the maintenance team an accurate picture of what is in the ground, and support the next stage, testing and commissioning, before the circuit is energised.
See It. Understand It. Then Learn How to Engineer It.
Recognising an AGL system visually is the first step. The next step is knowing how to design, install, test, commission and maintain them correctly.
Build Practical AGL Engineering Skills
Go deeper with structured training from Precision AGL Academy, covering:
Learn how each light, sign and circuit works as part of a complete airport lighting system, not just as an isolated diagram.