Impact of Airport Rubber Removal Techniques on Runways. A Synthesis of Airport Practice. Airport Cooperative Research Program Synthesis 11

摘要

Runway rubber removal is an essential function to maintain safe landing areas for the nation's aviation industry. The FAA requires that strict standards for runway skid resistance be attained and maintained at all airports. One technique that has been used successfully throughout the world to enhance runway skid resistance is the cutting of grooves in the surface of those areas of the runway where touchdown and braking are critical. The use of grooved runways provides an increased level of safety by furnishing enhanced drainage through increased pavement macrotexture, which reduces the potential for hydroplaning when runways are wet. Increased macrotexture leads to increased pavement surface friction, which in turn leads to increased amounts of rubber deposits. An average landing leaves as much as 1.4 lb (700 g) of rubber in a thin layer on the runway. To make matters worse, the heat generated during the interaction causes a chemical reaction called polymerization that changes the rubber deposits into a hard, smooth material. This buildup of rubber fills the micro-and macrotexture of the pavement, causing a serious loss of skid resistance when the runway is wet; as a result, the rubber deposits must be periodically removed.