Investigation of Critical Aspects of Roughness Assessment for Airfield Pavements

One of the main priorities of airport authorities is to maintain a high level of serviceability of runway pavements due to the high safety requirements for aircraft at high speeds. Accordingly, the assessment of the functional condition of airfield pavements is crucial for the proper operation of an airport. The most critical functional parameter appears to be pavement roughness. It characterizes the condition of the runway surface and is directly related to the safety of aircraft flights, as it affects the handling characteristics and braking performance of the aircraft, the increase in operating costs, and the wear of the aircraft. Worldwide, there are several indices for assessing the roughness of airfield pavements. This study aims to compare some of these indices to assess their ability to capture the characteristics of airfield pavement roughness. For this purpose, roughness data were collected along a runway with flexible pavement at a regional airport in southeast Europe and corresponding indices were estimated. The analysis of the data leads to the most efficient index for assessing the roughness of airfield surfaces to date. However, the need for a new index that expresses the response of the aircraft remains a critical issue.

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