Drainage Criteria for Runway Surface Roughness

Abstract

Summary The main factor contributing to hydroplaning on slick runways is the existence of a squeeze film in the contact area between tyre and surface. The situation may be improved by optimising surface texture so that the asperities break through the water film in a minimum time. Two techniques are described for characterising surface texture: a superposition solution based on viscous channel flow and a dimensionless number approach involving size, spacing and shape factors. The “feel” of a surface is quantitatively obtained, and an outflow meter is described which, by directly measuring the mean hydraulic radius of runways, provides a comparison of their drainage abilities.