Abstract:
The condition of the runway surface plays a critical role in the safety of aircraft during landing and take-off operations and procedures. A major problem at the airport is represented by vulcanized rubber deposits from aircraft tyres that accumulate on the optimal area (touchdown) of touching the runway for a safe landing. The rubber deposits tend to fill and smooth the pavement macrotexture and microtexture, thus affecting the aircraft braking characteristics on runway. In this study, the phenomenon of reducing the friction coefficient, generated by the presence of rubber deposits, is analyzed by field measurements. Measurements taken were compared to defined thresholds for new runway designs, maintenance planning, and minimum friction level below which a runway may become slippery wet. During the analysis, runway friction measurements were made using specialized airport measurement equipment, the information being correlated with visual, tactile assessment work visits and observations on the runway. Contamination of the surface with rubber leads to a decrease in the friction coefficient, thus causing a loss of grip, a deterioration of the tyre-runway friction characteristics, which compromises the level of safety of operations during landing-takeoff procedures.
Keywords: Friction coefficient, Rubber deposits, Airport traffic
Recieved: 15.06.2025,
Revised: 22.07.2025,
Accepted: 25.08.2025
PDF 