Airport pavement roughness evaluation based on aircraft response

Runway roughness affects primarily ride quality and dynamic wheel loads. The forces applied onto the airport pavement by aircraft vary instantaneously above and blow the static weight, which in turn increase the runway roughness. One method to effectively assess the ride quality of the airport runway is to measure its longitudinal profile and numerical simulate aircraft response performing a takeoff, landing or taxiing on that profile data. In this study the aircraft responses excited as the aircraft accelerates or moves at a constant speed on the runway during takeoff and taxi are computed by using the improved computer program TAXI. This procedure is capable of taking into account both the effects of discrete runway bumps and runway roughness. Thus, sections of significant dynamic response can be determined, and the maintenance and rehabilitation works for airport runways will be conducted.