Page 50 - 인천국제공항 4단계 건설사업 건설지 [브랜드북 영문]

Constructing The construction of Runway 4 began with a ground-breaking ceremony on December 20, 2018, at

Runway 4: the planned site. After completing the 3,750-meter-long, 60-meter-wide runway structure, paving
work commenced in June 2020. Runway 4 adopted the innovative smart echelon paving, which
Elevating the allows the central 24 meters of the runway—the area under the heaviest load during takeoffs and

airport to a new landings—to be paved seamlessly without cold joints. Echelon paving was first introduced in
Korea during the construction of Incheon Airport’s Runway 3, and the upgraded smart paving
level method was applied to Runway 4, eliminating joints and enhancing drainage and skid resistance,

thereby improving overall safety of Runway 4.
Runway 4 also improved safety by extending the rigid (concrete) pavement section, where the
load is highest upon landing. Based on takeoff and landing analysis, the length of the concrete
pavement was increased from 300–700 meters to 842 meters, allowing all aircraft, including

large Code F planes, to touchdown within the rigid pavement area. Additionally, Incheon Airport
introduced its proprietary trapezoidal grooving method on the runway’s surface. Unlike traditional
rectangular grooves, this trapezoidal grooving enhances drainage and reduces tire wear.
Runway 4 commenced operations on June 17, 2021. With this addition, Runway 3 was designated

primarily for takeoffs, and Runway 4 for landings, ensuring stable and efficient airport operations.
Globally, only a few major airports—such as Amsterdam Schiphol, Frankfurt, Shanghai Pudong,
and Tokyo Haneda—operate with four or more runways.

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