What is installation?
The stage that builds the system — civil works, bases, fixtures, cables and connections, put in as designed and checked as they go.
Installation builds the system from the accepted equipment and the issued design. Civil works come first, then bases and fixtures, transformers, regulators and signs, followed by cable laying, connections and earthing, and finally alignment and securing of each fixture.
Work is checked as it goes, because much of it is buried or covered afterwards. It also takes place beside active runways and taxiways, so permits, access control and safe working matter as much as workmanship. A hidden defect found later can mean digging up finished work.
- Prepare. Agree permits, access and the work area, and set out the works from the drawings.
- Civil. Build trenches, ducts, base foundations and drainage.
- Equipment. Install bases, fixtures, transformers, regulators and signs.
- Cables. Lay, identify and connect cables, make joints and connectors, and complete earthing.
- Align. Set orientation, height and level, and check torque and seals.
- Check. Inspect the work, record as-built information and release to commissioning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1What is installation in airfield ground lighting?
The lifecycle stage where the designed system is built on the airfield. Civil works, bases, fixtures, cables, transformers, regulators and signs are installed in line with the drawings and specification, and checked as the work progresses.
Q2What does installation start from?
Accepted equipment, the issued design drawings and specifications, and a safe working arrangement with airfield operations. Work areas, access, permits and the construction sequence are agreed before work begins.
Q3What are the main installation activities?
Setting out and preparing the site, civil works such as trenches, ducts and base foundations, installing bases and fixtures, laying and connecting cables, installing transformers, regulators and signs, and aligning and securing fixtures.
Q4Why is workmanship checked during installation?
Many items are buried or hidden once the work is covered. Checking depth, orientation, alignment, connector seals, earthing and cable routes as the work proceeds is far easier than finding a fault later.
Q5Why does airfield safety matter during installation?
Work takes place next to active runways and taxiways. Permits, access control, vehicle and personnel control and restoring lighting and surfaces correctly keep operations safe and prevent damage to existing AGL.
Q6What does installation hand over to commissioning?
A completed, inspected installation with as-built records, test and inspection records and the installed equipment data. Commissioning then tests the system as a whole and proves it performs as designed.
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