RUNWAY FRICTION

CONTAMINANATS
A contaminant is considered to be a deposit
(such as snow, slush, ice, standing water,
mud, dust, sand, oil, and rubber) on an
airport pavement, the effect of which is
detrimental to the friction characteristics of
the pavement surface.

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 FOD
Debris is fragments of loose material (such as
sand, stone, paper, wood, metal and fragments of
pavements) that are detrimental to aeroplane
structures or engines or that might impair the
operation of aeroplane systems if they strike the
structure or are ingested into engines. Damage
caused by debris is also known as FOD (foreign
object damage).

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 FRICTION
Friction. A resistive force along the line of relative motion between
two surfaces in contact.
Coefficient of friction. A dimensionless ratio of the friction force
between two bodies to the normal force pressing these two bodies
together.
This ratio is particularly, but not exclusively dependent, upon:
The physical characteristics of the two surfaces.
The prevailing temperature at the point of contact.
The speed of movement of the object (the tyre) over the surface.

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 FRICTION DESCRIPTION
A contamination terminology is used for a qualitative
description of the runway condition. It can be used in
complement of the friction coefficient value, or alone when a
measure is not possible.
Sample for water on the runway:
DAMP
WET
STANDING WATER
Other terms exist for snow, ice, etc.

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 FRICTION CONCERNS
There is general concern over the adequacy of the available
friction between the aeroplane tires and the runway surface
under certain operating conditions, such as when there is
snow, slush, ice or water. This concern is more acute for jet
transport aeroplanes since their landing and take-off speeds
are high, and in some cases the runway length required for
landing or take-off tends to be critical in relation to the
runway length available. In addition, aeroplane directional
control may become impaired in the presence of cross-wind
under such operating conditions.

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 FRICTION CONCERNS
Aside from this safety-related aspect, the
regularity and efficiency of aeroplane
operations can become significantly
impaired as a result of poor friction
characteristics. It is essential that the
surface of a paved runway be so
constructed as to provide good friction
characteristics when the runway is wet.

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 FRICTION CONCERNS
Evidence from aeroplane overrun and run-
off incidents and accidents indicates that in
many cases inadequate runway friction
characteristics / aeroplane braking
performance was the primary cause or at
least a contributory factor.

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 FRICTION CONCERNS
Adequate runway friction characteristics are
needed for three distinct purposes:
a) deceleration of the aeroplane after landing or a
rejected take-off;
b) maintaining directional control during the
ground roll on take-off or landing, in particular in
the presence of cross-wind, asymmetric engine
power or technical malfunctions; and
c) wheel spin-up at touchdown.
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 FRICTION CONCERNS
Reports of assessment of contaminant depth on a
runway will be interpreted differently by the
operator for the take-off as compared with the
landing.

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 FRICTION CONCERNS
TAKE-OFF : Need to take into account the
contaminant drag effect and, if applicable,
aquaplaning on take-off and accelerate-stop
distance requirements based on information which
has been made available to them.
LANDING: The principal hazard results from loss
of friction due to aquaplaning or compacted snow
or ice, while the drag effects of the contaminant
would assist aeroplane deceleration.

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 FRICTION CONCERNS
However, apart from any adverse effects from
contaminant drag which may occur on take-off or
loss of braking efficiency on landing, slush and
water thrown up by aeroplane wheels can cause
engine flame-out and can also inflict significant
damage on airframes and engines. This is further
reason to remove precipitants from the runway
rather than, for instance, devoting special efforts
towards improving the accuracy of measurement
and reporting the runway friction characteristics
on a contaminated runway.
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 REDUCED FRICTION
When considering a wet or water-covered runway, there are
certain separate but related aspects of the braking problem.
Firstly, “normal” wet friction is the condition where, due to the
presence of water on a runway, the available friction
coefficient is reduced below that available on the runway
when it is dry. This is because water cannot be completely
squeezed out from between the tire and the runway, and as a
result, there is only partial contact with the runway by the tire.
There is consequently a marked reduction in the force
opposing relative motion of tire and runway because the
remainder of the contacts are between tire and water.

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 REDUCED FRICTION
To obtain a high coefficient of friction on a wet or water-covered
runway, it is, therefore, necessary for the intervening water film to be
displaced or broken through during the time each element of the tire
is in contact with the runway. As the speed rises, the time of contact
is reduced and there is less time for the process to be completed;
thus, friction coefficients on wet surfaces tend to fall as the speed is
raised, i.e. the conditions, in effect, become more slippery. Secondly,
one of the factors of most concern in these conditions is the
aquaplaning phenomenon whereby the tires of the aeroplane are to a
large extent separated from the runway surface by a thin fluid film.
Under these conditions, the friction coefficient becomes almost
negligible, and wheel braking and wheel steering are virtually
ineffective.

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 AQUAPLANING
Aquaplaning, also known as hydroplaning, is
a condition in which standing water, slush or
snow, causes the moving wheel of an aircraft
to lose contact with the load bearing surface
on which it is rolling with the result that
braking action on the wheel is not effective
in reducing the ground speed of the aircraft.

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 AQUAPLANING
Aquaplaning is a condition that can
exist when an aircraft is landed on a
runway surface contaminated
with standing water, slush, and/or
wet snow.
can have serious adverse effects on
ground controllability and braking
efficiency.
can render an aircraft partially or
totally uncontrollable anytime during
the landing roll.
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 AQUAPLANING
Viscous aquaplaning is due to the viscous properties of
water. A thin film of fluid no more than 0.025 mm in depth
is all that is needed. The tire cannot penetrate the fluid
and the tire rolls on top of the film.
Dynamic aquaplaning is a relatively high-speed
phenomenon that occurs when there is a film of water on
the runway that is at least (2.5 mm) deep.
Reverted rubber (steam) aquaplaning occurs during
heavy braking that results in a prolonged locked-wheel
skid. Only a thin film of water on the runway is required to
facilitate this type of aquaplaning.
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 ANNEX14 GUIDANCE
In Annex 14, ICAO sets only the principles which
cover the provision of paved runway surfaces with
acceptable friction characteristics. Contracting
States are given the authority to develop detailed
schemes to provide acceptable levels of safety,
both in respect of the objective and operational
determination of surface friction. As a result, the
methods of determination and availability of
information differ widely between States.

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 ANNEX14 GUIDANCE
However, States are required by Annex 14 to
undertake friction testing “periodically in order to
identify runways with low friction when wet” and
also to define and publish in their AIP the Minimum
Friction Level (MFL) which will
require NOTAM advice, if reached, for any given
runway. States must also establish a ‘Maintenance
Planning Level’ (MPL) of runway friction below
which prompt corrective action is required.

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 FRICTION MEASUREMENT
The surface of a paved runway shall be so constructed as to
provide good friction characteristics when the runway is wet.
Evaluation and operational experience have shown that properly
engineered and maintained asphaltic or portland cement concrete
surfaces meet these criteria. This does not preclude the use of
other materials which meet these criteria.
Measurements of the friction characteristics of a new or
resurfaced runway should be made with a continuous friction
measuring device using self-wetting features in order to assure that
the design objectives with respect to its friction characteristics
have been achieved.

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 MINIMUM FRICTION LEVEL
Minimum Friction Level (MFL) μ is specified by
local air authority. A value less than 0.34 is seen
by ICAO as slippery.
Friction is measured for each third of the runway,
in a direction parallel to the runway centerline.
Runway friction coefficient should be measured
and reported via NOTAM if needed.

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FRICTION MEASURING DEVICE

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 SAMPLE NOTAM FOR REDUCED
FRICTION

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 ACTIONS BY PILOTS

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 EFFECT OF RUBBER DEPOSITS
The Effect of Rubber Deposits and Painted Markings
An average aircraft landing leaves as much as 1.4 lb
(700 g) of rubber in a thin layer on the runway
(source: Transportation Research Board, 2012).
Accumulation of rubber deposits from aircraft tyres in
the touchdown zone is inevitable on busy runways,
and periodic removal may be necessary to maintain
MFL. It is likely to cause a loss of surface friction at all
transit speeds because of interference with both the
microtexture and macrotexture.
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 EFFECT OF RUBBER DEPOSITS
Rubber deposits are difficult to remove as it is deep
penetrated into the pores of the runway surface. The
aircraft tire rubber is burnt at the time of landing due to
high temperature generated by spinning effect caused by
friction between the tire and the runway surface. The
burnt rubber particles so generated first fill the voids of
the runway surface and then continue to deposit over the
surface. Over a period, the gradual deposit of rubber
makes the runway surface slippery with reduced friction
value. Non removal of such rubber deposits, periodically,
causes problems in aircrafts maneuvering.

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