can we have this in AWS

[castelino009]

http://www.airliners.net/photo/FedEx-Express/McDonnell-Douglas-MD-11%28F%29/1801406/M/

one of the reason for delays  

[swiftus27]

Keep your nose wheel on the yellow line and you wont have this problem.

[alexgv1]

Keep your nose wheel on the yellow line and you wont have this problem.

He kept his on the wrong yellow line 

It's weird, usually you see grass at the edge of the taxiways, and if you see concrete you would expect it to be fine but I guess it didn't have the bearing strength.

[DenisG]

That is in fact very weak concrete, as you can tell from the broken pieces. It appears thinner than 30cm, which you would not even use on highways, in most of Europe at least. I wonder if he was gonna hit the taxiway signal...

Denis

[swiftus27]

That was asphalt and not concrete. 

[castelino009]

guess what damage an A380 would have done    OUCH

[DenisG]

That was asphalt and not concrete.  

Only the first 5-8cm is asphalt, below that is concrete. You put asphalt on top because grooving concrete is very expensive and needs to be done every few years.
Denis

[MattDell]

Keep your nose wheel on the yellow line and you wont have this problem.

I think he was closer to the center line than the photo would suggest.  As soon as his left gear went off the concrete, I'm sure there was A LOT of drag pulling the aircraft to the left and by the time the plane stopped he was much farther away from the centerline than during his taxi.

-Matt

[castelino009]

but thats poor quality, if it cant take a MD11 , can it handle a 747 or A380 with full load? hmmm

[DenisG]

I would suggest from the depth of the 'crater' that they had some bad winter and rain, hence water filling up below the surface, freezing and then smelting as weather got better. Airport maintenance units regularly check this ones per week during winter, but you can never can have the 100% security. Further, the strength of the taxiway appears pretty fragile in general - perhaps not even designed for this aircraft class. In Germany, the autobahnen (plural) have much better fundament than this taxiway.

Denis

[DenisG]

swiftus, I was wrong on the concrete. I mailed the photo to my Dad, who has been in construction for 4 decades and he immediately replied that below the small asphalt surface is to be found compressed quartz sand in this case. So the taxiway, or this part of the taxiway, has no fundament at all.

Denis

[Sami]

He's taxiing outside of the taxiway (main wheel outside the yellow edge line) so that's not supposed to take the weight anyways. Just some random asphalt to keep the grass away etc.

[Jona L.]

Just a comment, maybe not too topical... :

Welcome to the east! (not only a prejudice, but a thing I notice... I had been in Poland this year, and when crossing the border (by car) you didn't need the signs, the street quality showed it so I think that is "former-USSR-quality" so: sh*t (cf. TUP/ANT/etc.)

Jona L.