Runway engineering - Articles and news items

Engineering Sciences Data Unit (ESDU)

Issue 3 2009, Past issues / 26 May 2009 /

The role of the Engineering Sciences Data Unit (ESDU) in Modelling Performance of Aircraft Tyres on Contaminated Paved Surfaces.

Aircraft Performance is directly affected by runway contaminants in two ways. There is an increase in decelerating force because contaminants impinge on the airframe and wheels. There is also a decrease in the available braking friction. As a result, the consequences are mixed. (more…)

Airport pavement rehabilitation by rubblisation

Issue 5 2008, Past issues / 30 September 2008 /

Concrete pavements exhibiting distresses such as cracking, joint deterioration, spalling, and joint faulting can be rehabilitated by constructing a concrete or asphalt overlay. The ‘crack and seat’ technique is the most prevalent method for deteriorated concrete pavement rehabilitation. However, ‘rubblisation’ is fast becoming a popular method of concrete pavement rehabilitation.

Asphalt overlays placed over existing Portland cement concrete pavements reflect the joints and cracks present in the underlying concrete pavement. Once reflected into the asphalt overlay, these cracks represent a major maintenance concern and are a known source of foreign object damage. According to the National Asphalt Pavement Association, rubblisation is the most effective procedure for addressing reflective cracking in asphalt overlays.

Rubblisation could be a cost-effective means of converting an existing failed or failing concrete pavement into a superior base, thereby eliminating the expense of removal and replacement. (more…)

ASTM International and friction

Issue 5 2008, Past issues / 30 September 2008 /

ASTM International is one of the largest voluntary standards development organisations in the world, a trusted source for technical standards for materials, products, systems and services. Known for their high technical quality and market relevancy, ASTM International standards have an important role in the information infrastructure that guides design, manufacturing and trade in the global economy.

ASTM Committee E17 on Vehicle-Pavement Systems was formed in 1960 to bring together many of the world experts in friction and to develop standards for data collection, equipment design and data analysis. Since 1960, the Committee has expanded its efforts beyond friction to include roughness, pavement management and intelligent vehicle/highway systems. By sponsoring frequent technical symposiums at their semi-annual meetings, which usually take place in June and December, Committee E17 promotes useful discussions and data dissemination, which results to consensus improvements in measuring techniques, equipment hardware/software and data analysis. (more…)

New loading modules for the pavement test vehicle

Issue 2 2008, Past issues / 28 March 2008 /

From its dedication in 1999, the National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF), of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has been tasked with conducting research on both rigid and flexible airport pavements. The facility offers a unique opportunity to study, instrument and record full-depth soil and pavement interactions under a variety of test parameters.

Pavement experiments can be performed over three different subgrade soil strengths as measured by California Bearing Ratio (CBR): Low Strength (CBR 3-4), Medium Strength (CBR 7-8), and High Strength (CBR 25-30). Of particular interest to NAPTF engineers, are the load interactions which occur from multiple-wheel landing gear on a given pavement structure. To date, research conducted at the NAPTF has been instrumental in developing refined design procedures that provide more reliable predictions of pavement life from aircraft traffic. (more…)

Profiling runways

Issue 2 2006, Past issues / 16 June 2006 /

Aircraft computer simulation is effective in identifying and assessing aircraft response to pavement roughness, as Marc Stet explains.

The responsibility for runway roughness lies with each individual airport operating authority. ICAO’s Annex 14 contains only very general information regarding airfield pavement roughness.

Runway roughness assessment is a discretionary activity that is often undertaken in response to known roughness problems or complaints received from pilots or airlines. Nowadays, aircraft ride simulation technology has become available and can assist airport authorities to make roughness managerial pavement parameters. Runway surface quality is of interest to the airport community. A runway pavement surface must not have any irregularities which create roughness that could adversely interfere with operation of the aircraft, result in loss of friction, or cause downloading or even structural damage to the aircraft itself. Surface roughness, the opposite of smoothness, is critical for the safe operation of aircraft during takeoff and landing runs. (more…)

Infrastructure for future capacity

Issue 2 2005 / 10 June 2005 /

For an operator such as BAA, innovation in engineering and design starts from the ground up, with its runways future-proofed by TPS Consult.

The growth of air passenger traffic in the UK has been phenomenal and there are no signs that the rate of increase will abate. Far from it, projections show that expansion will continue apace. The main airports all have enlargement schemes at varying stages of planning, but even with those being implemented, there may still be capacity problems during the next two decades. With all this new development, the construction and aviation sectors are set to be very busy!

BAA owns and runs key airports in the UK including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. It also has interests in a number of airports overseas (Indianapolis, Boston, Pittsburgh, Naples, Perth and five other airports in Australia) with more than 200 million passengers passing through its airports each year. BAA is pivotal to the aviation industry in the UK and is instrumental in a number of the expansion plans that are proposed around the country. (more…)