Development, Verification and Assessment of a Laser Profilometer and Analysis Algorithm for Microtexture Assessment...

Area of Science:

• Civil Engineering
• Aerospace Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Runway surface friction is vital for aircraft safety, directly influenced by pavement texture.
• Standardized methods for microtexture assessment in runway maintenance are lacking.
• Accurate texture measurement is crucial for effective friction management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a simple laser profilometer and analysis model for runway friction surveys.
• To provide a cost-effective and accessible tool for routine runway texture assessment.
• To address the challenge of microtexture assessment in current airport practices.

Main Methods:

• Development of a simple laser profilometer.
• Design of a profile picture analysis and macrotexture filtration method.
• Validation against stylus-based roughness testers and the British Pendulum Tester.

Main Results:

• The laser profilometer showed high correlation with stylus-based roughness testers (R² = 0.99).
• Microtexture roughness correlated well with British Pendulum Tester results (R² = 0.78) after macrotexture filtration.
• The proposed linear approximation method proved effective for macrotexture filtration.

Conclusions:

• A simple, economical laser profilometer can be used for routine runway friction surveys.
• The developed method offers a practical solution for microtexture assessment in airport pavement management.
• This technology has the potential to enhance current airport surface friction management practices.