US Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point Quantitative Impact Study

1. US Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point Quantitative Impact Study Informational Briefing Prepared for the 2006 USAF Corrosion Conference March 16, 2006

3. Problem Historically, Barbers Point, Hawaii C-130s have experienced higher corrosion rates, depot maintenance, and support costs as compared to C-130s assigned at other Coast Guard Air Stations Theorized causal factors Adverse tropical environment Open-air staging of C-130 aircraft

4. Background Air Station Barbers Point is located on the southwest, leeward coast of Oahu near the city of Kapolei, approximately 25 miles from downtown Honolulu. Climatic conditions are characterized by abundant sunshine persistent trade winds relatively constant temperatures moderate humidity infrequency of severe storms Air Station Barbers Point is located on the southwest, leeward coast of Oahu near the city of Kapolei, approximately 25 miles from downtown Honolulu. Climatic conditions are characterized by abundant sunshine persistent trade winds relatively constant temperatures moderate humidity infrequency of severe storms

5. Background Open-air staging of C-130 aircraft at CGAS Barbers Point is a necessity due to the configuration of the existing 1960s vintage hangar that lacks the capability, in square footage and design, to fully enclose assigned aircraft. Only one hangar bay exists to service the C-130s; however, full enclosure is not possible because the hangar door opening and roof are too low to clear the aircraft�s tail section. As a result, C-130s are staged and predominantly maintained, unsheltered on the ramp and apron, fully exposed to the Barbers Point tropical environment. Open-air staging of C-130 aircraft at CGAS Barbers Point is a necessity due to the configuration of the existing 1960s vintage hangar that lacks the capability, in square footage and design, to fully enclose assigned aircraft. Only one hangar bay exists to service the C-130s; however, full enclosure is not possible because the hangar door opening and roof are too low to clear the aircraft�s tail section. As a result, C-130s are staged and predominantly maintained, unsheltered on the ramp and apron, fully exposed to the Barbers Point tropical environment.

6. Objective To identify and assess the negative effects of open-air staging of C-130 aircraft (OASA) at Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point Quantify the effects of OASA on C-130 aircraft Recommend solutions to mitigate adverse environmental affects to aircraft In compliance with a Coast Guard approved plan, ARINC Conducted an assessment of Barbers Point environmental factors and corrosive severity Accomplished a literature review of hangar space studies, design and construction requirements Carried out a Barbers Point site survey Personnel interviews Physical survey Maintenance records review Researched maintenance data for comparative analysis Depot maintenance data Man-hour requirements Operational readiness

8. Temperature/Humidity Temperature The typical effect of temperature on atmospheric corrosion rates is to stimulate corrosive attack by increasing the rate of electrochemical reactions and diffusion processes For a constant humidity, an increase in temperature leads to higher corrosion rates Humidity At high relative humidity levels (RH) values, but less than 100%, a thin moisture layer will be present on the surface, which may be enough to decrease surface insulation resistance and cause corrosion The higher the humidity, the thicker the moisture layer and the faster the corrosion can occur The monthly range in temperature between the warmest months (August and September) and the coolest months (January and February) averages only seven degrees. Daily maximum temperatures range from the high 70s in the winter to the mid-80s in the summer; the daily minimum temperatures run from the mid-60s in the winter to the low-70s during the summer. Read from the slide Diffusion � the gradual mixing of the molecules of two or more substances As reflected in the adjacent chart temperature, in and of itself, did not serve to significantly discriminate Barbers Point from the remaining Coast Guard Air Stations. The persistence of the northeasterly trade winds results in moderate humidity even in the warmest months. When the trade winds diminish or give way to southerly winds, the humidity becomes oppressively high. This condition is known locally as �Kona weather.� Read from the slide Here too, as with temperature, humidity in and of itself, did not serve to significantly discriminate Barbers Point form the remaining Air Stations. The monthly range in temperature between the warmest months (August and September) and the coolest months (January and February) averages only seven degrees. Daily maximum temperatures range from the high 70s in the winter to the mid-80s in the summer; the daily minimum temperatures run from the mid-60s in the winter to the low-70s during the summer. Read from the slide Diffusion � the gradual mixing of the molecules of two or more substances As reflected in the adjacent chart temperature, in and of itself, did not serve to significantly discriminate Barbers Point from the remaining Coast Guard Air Stations. The persistence of the northeasterly trade winds results in moderate humidity even in the warmest months. When the trade winds diminish or give way to southerly winds, the humidity becomes oppressively high. This condition is known locally as �Kona weather.� Read from the slide Here too, as with temperature, humidity in and of itself, did not serve to significantly discriminate Barbers Point form the remaining Air Stations.

9. Deliquescent Relative Humidity Condensation on a clean surface will only occur if the relative humidity equals 100% Contaminants on a surface will cause condensation to occur at lower relative humidity levels Deliquescent relative humidity (DRH) is the relative humidity at which a particle takes up water from the atmosphere and dissolves This table gives the DRH at which common aerosols first wet Note that sodium chloride (NaCl), the primary constituent of sea salt, has a DRH of 75.3% and that the mean relative humidity (morning) of Barbers Point is 76% The salt laden atmosphere of Barbers Point results in a nearly continuous salt deposition or encrustation of all exposed surfaces The surface contamination that results propagates the onset of condensation, thereby increasing the atmospheric corrosion rates

10. Winds With light trades, on shore breezes are fairly regular This is particularly evident on the leeward coasts that are topographically sheltered from the trade winds An inland sea breeze carries with it sea salt transported by the atmosphere in the form of salt aerosol This results in a nearly continuous salt deposition or incrustation of Barbers Point from on-shore winds and the salt laden atmosphere

11. Rainfall Barbers Point has an average annual rainfall of less than 22 inches The leeward and other dry areas obtain their rainfall mainly from a few winter storms Therefore, rainfall is usually seasonal and summers dry

12. Sulfur Dioxide (Acid Rain) Plays in important role in atmospheric corrosion Is absorbed on metal surfaces High solubility in water Tends to form sulfuric acid in the presence of moisture films Sulfate ions are formed in the surface moisture layer by oxidation of sulfur dioxide and their formation is considered to be the main corrosion accelerating effect from sulfur dioxide Natural sources Volcanoes Oceans Man-made sources Fossil fuel combustion (industrial plant west of the air station) Concentrations of sulfur dioxide were found to be insignificant from the point of view of corrosive attack (ISO 9223, Corrosion of Metal and Alloys � Corrosivity of Atmospheres � Classification)

13. Chlorides Soluble salts contained in the atmosphere Hygroscopic in that they pull moisture from the air Electrolyte formation �Soluble salts� itself is a misnomer in that these salts are often chemically bound to a surface and not so readily water-soluble Due the chloride ion�s strong affinity for metals and its extremely small size, even very small imperfections in the coating allow the ion to migrate to the metal surface The chloride ion forms an electro-chemical bond to the metal and that bond becomes extremely strong That is why these salts cannot be simply washed off Most salts on the surface of a coating can be removed with low pressure water blasting, but salts that have bonded with the metal substrate may not be removed, even with high pressure water blasting Results in pitting and crevice corrosion of aluminum alloys

14. Chlorides Sodium chloride is the primary constituent of sea salt and transported by the atmosphere in the form of salt aerosol At its closest boundary, Barbers Point lies within 0.1 mile (<200 yards) of the open ocean As a result, it is subjected to high salt deposition conditions

15. Chlorides Atmospheric salinity distinctly increases atmospheric corrosion rates This chart depicts chloride deposition rates, a measure of corrosivity, of several CGASs as measured by Battelle Based on this data, CGAS Barbers Point is near the 90th percentile in terms of severity

16. Corrosive Severity Corrosivity is the estimation of the degradation of the properties of a material as a consequence of exposure to an atmospheric environment Corrosivity is influenced by numerous meteorological factors including temperature, ultraviolet levels, relative humidity, time of wetness and wind direction and speed, and the presence of atmospheric contaminants (such as sulfur dioxide and chlorides) Topographical setting is also a factor of corrosivity as it can influence exposure to salt-laden winds or pollutants from nearby or distant sources and affect the rates of the processes occurring at the moist air/metal interface ISO 9223 classifies the corrosivity of an atmosphere based on measurements of time of wetness and pollution categories (sulfur dioxide, airborne chlorides)

17. Corrosive Severity Corrosion monitoring at Air Force sites has been in progress by Battelle for over a decade The monitoring work has been expanded and data now includes a number of Coast Guard sites, including Barbers Point For Barbers Point, Battelle depicts the weight loss on aluminum at approximately 260 micrograms/cm2/yr When ISO 9223 is applied to Battelle findings the resulting corrosivity category for Barbers Point is C4 or a High corrosive category Such a classification is consistent with the atmospheric environment and topographical setting of Barbers Point as discussed previously

18. Aircraft Hangar Current hanger configuration is dated and inferior The configuration allows for only partial enclosure of a single C-130 aircraft At 38% of the hangar deck space called out in the Civil Engineering Manual, the design lacks adequate square footage, height, and doors to provide a fully enclosed and weather protected shelter for servicing and repairing aircraft This presents a problem in that the large surface area of the exposed empennage is affected by winds, which can result in uncommanded aircraft movement thereby threatening the safety of personnel and property The hangar design negatively affects the working environment, which is impacted by weather, noise, and congestion Two studies, one in 1993 and the other in 1998 have documented the shortage of available hangar space at CGAS Barbers Point concluding that, ��a new C-130 service hangar is needed�

19. Maintenance and Operations Maintenance Over & above depot costs are twice the fleet average Depot direct corrosion maintenance costs are 237% of fleet average* Number of �corroded severe� depot discrepancies are 200% greater than fleet average Barbers Point leads the fleet in the annual growth of maintenance man-hours Operations Barbers Point trails but follows the fleet trend in aircraft availability The factors that affect the fleet affect CGAS Barbers Point but to a greater extent NMCS averaged 15%, three times the Coast Guard target of 5% A scenario of higher than target levels of NMCS is not an unusual event for an overseas unit; however, NMCS rates as experienced by CGAS Barbers Point are a significant impediment to meeting target availability rates NMCM is 16%, well below the 24% target that is deemed necessary to sustain aircraft availability

20. Discussion This study evaluated the CGAS Barbers Point environment with regard to open-air staging of C-130 aircraft determining that It is a highly corrosive environment The hangar is not sized or configured to maintain assigned C-130 aircraft Severe corrosion of assigned C-130 aircraft are more than twice that of the fleet Depot over & above costs are more than twice that of the fleet That Barbers Point leads the fleet in the growth of Unit Maintenance Labor Hours These factors negatively impact CGAS Barbers Point�s operational capability

21. Recommendations Construct a new C-130 service hangar with doors to fully enclose an aircraft. Return on Investment (ROI) - 10:1. Construct a frame-supported tension fabric shelter to serve as temporary C-130 aircraft maintenance shelter, an interim solution pending construction of a permanent C-130 service hangar. ROI - 4-10:1. Incorporate controlled humidity protection (CHP) in both the permanent and temporary C-130 service hangars and, as a maintenance technology, on operational aircraft. ROI - 9:1. Continue use of corrosion preventive compounds (CPCs) with special emphasis on maintenance of and application frequency. Construct a C-130 clear water rinse facility/washrack. ROI - 30:1. Review, evaluate, and improve existing methods for collecting and analyzing corrosion costs. There is no single action or initiative that will cure all the problems identified in this study. Rather, a series of fundamental projects and actions are needed as part of a comprehensive corrosion program to mitigate aircraft corrosion and costly repairs, enhance efficiency of available manpower, and improve operational readiness at CGAS Barbers Point. Beyond that, these actions will serve to enhance aircraft service life as well. There is no single action or initiative that will cure all the problems identified in this study. Rather, a series of fundamental projects and actions are needed as part of a comprehensive corrosion program to mitigate aircraft corrosion and costly repairs, enhance efficiency of available manpower, and improve operational readiness at CGAS Barbers Point. Beyond that, these actions will serve to enhance aircraft service life as well.

22. Backup Slides

23. Limitations C-130 maintenance and operations data limited to what could be extracted from the CG�s Aviation Logistics Management Information System (ALMIS), the only resident source for this type of information Current directives require that paper maintenance records be retained for a period of only one year after which they may be discarded Maintenance procedure cards be retained for a period of 90-days after which they may be discarded

24. Limitations CG�s electronic data suffer from some weaknesses Data is not reported in a consistent way over time Programmatic changes Modifications of databases Data not individual aircraft or unit specific rather, a synopsis of fleet-wide data Shortly before commencing this study, the database was purged of data, a standard practice employed every two years Archive CG maintenance and operations data for any long-term analysis not available C-130 depot maintenance data limited to that which could be obtained from DCMA Depot activity accomplished by other government agencies or thru commercial contracts Data systems of these depot support entities are organizational specific and not integrated with ALMIS Data limited to maintenance considered over & above

25. CGAS Barbers Point initial site survey, Nov 03 17 interviews accomplished (Ops/Maint/Fac) Cost drivers Operational impacts Aircraft and facility maintenance Labor requirements and manning levels Environmental factors Maintenance records review ALMIS data extraction NMC Percent available Compilation of a photographic log Discussion with D14 CEU/MLC Facilities Condition Assessment Facility Master Plan forthcoming New hangar space requirements under development Mission Dependency initiative under development Relates impact of functional space to mission capability Site Survey Let me talk to the issues of OASA. That may best be accomplished by addressing this past November�s site survey. Two issues are problematic and contribute the corrosion problems at CGAS Barbers Point: Tropical Environment Functionally inappropriate facilities Let me talk to the issues of OASA. That may best be accomplished by addressing this past November�s site survey. Two issues are problematic and contribute the corrosion problems at CGAS Barbers Point: Tropical Environment Functionally inappropriate facilities

26. Conduct a thorough literature review of hangar space, design, and construction requirements Current aircraft allowance: 4 � C-130s & 4 � H-65s Current standards require enclosure of all H-65s and two C-130s Existing hangar space for all H-65s and nose dock for one C-130 Facilities

27. Hangar Approximately 54% of standard required for 4 helos and 4 C-130s Lacking second C-130 bay as required by standard Open 2-bay hangar with no doors Working environment affected by weather, noise, lighting, and congestion Hangar bays cannot accommodate an entire C-130, only the forward fuselage Impact of wind on empennage prohibits or terminates select maintenance activities Lack of square footage and height dictate the majority of C-130 aircraft maintenance routinely be performed outside Ramp lighting inadequate for maintenance Supplementary lighting from light carts unacceptable for all but the most basic of maintenance actions Existing wash rack was built to accommodate an H65, not a C-130 Location contributes to congestion Serves as an H65 parking spot Lighting inadequate . . . Facilities