What is civil inspection?
The check of the civil works that carry the lights — base surrounds, foundations, trenches, pits and drainage — to find cracking, settlement and water paths before they damage the lights or cables.
Civil inspection checks the condition of the civil works that carry the lighting. The sequence is prepared and permitted, the surface and surrounds are walked, base surrounds, sealant and foundations are inspected, pits and base cans are opened only when safe, and each defect is classified and recorded for repair or monitoring.
Many electrical faults begin as civil faults: failed sealant, blocked drainage and ponding let water reach connectors and cable entries. Surface checks need no isolation, but opening a pit or a base can exposes cables, so that work is done only when the circuit is isolated, locked out and proved dead where required, under the airport’s permit-to-work. Until the circuit is proved dead, every cable and connector in a pit or base can is treated as live: look, but do not touch. Findings are compared with the as-built records to show what has moved or deteriorated.
- Prepare. Obtain the permit and airside access (with ATC or operations clearance on movement areas), and collect as-built records and the previous defect list.
- Walk. Look along the lighting line at the surface, surrounds, ponding and signs of settlement.
- Inspect. Examine base surrounds, sealant and the foundations of elevated lights and signs for cracking, movement and damage.
- Open. Check pits, base cans and duct entries for water, silt and damage only when safe, isolating the circuit if required, and treating every cable as live until it is proved dead.
- Classify. Rate each defect as urgent, planned or monitor, comparing with the as-built position and level.
- Record. Log location, severity and photographs, and raise work orders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1What is civil inspection in airfield ground lighting?
It is the structured check of the civil works that carry the lighting: base can surrounds and sealant, foundations of elevated lights and signs, pavement around inset lights, trenches and ducts, pits and handholes, and drainage. It finds cracking, settlement, ponding and water paths before they damage the lights or cables.
Q2How is civil inspection different from civil tolerance?
Civil tolerance is whether the work was built close enough to the design. Civil inspection is whether the work is still in good condition in service. Inspection findings can be compared with the as-built records to see whether something has moved or deteriorated.
Q3Why does water matter so much in a civil inspection?
Standing water, blocked drains and failed sealant let moisture into base cans, pits and connectors, which later shows up as corrosion and low insulation resistance. Many electrical faults have a civil cause, so ponding and drainage are checked as carefully as cracks.
Q4Does a civil inspection need isolation?
Surface checks do not. Opening pits, handholes or base cans exposes cables and connectors, so that is done only when the site procedure allows it, with the circuit isolated, locked out and proved dead where required. Until it is proved dead, treat every cable and connector in the pit as live: look, but do not touch. Any excavation needs permits and existing services located first.
Q5What should be recorded?
The location or identifier, what was seen, its likely severity, a photograph where permitted and the inspector and date. Findings are classified so urgent defects are repaired quickly and slow ones are monitored and trended.
Q6What limits and intervals apply?
Defect limits, inspection items and intervals come from the airport's maintenance programme, the regulator, the applicable standard and the manufacturers' instructions. Always use the values for your site rather than a generic figure.
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