EVALUATION OF LONGITUDINAL PROFILES OF AN AIRPORT RUNWAY AND RIDE COMFORT

Several research workers have recently conducted measurements of longitudinal profiles on highway pavement surfaces, however, there has been few data obtained for the whole length by careful measurements on airport runways. The authors have made profile measurements on airport runway using the non-contact type profiler. That profiler is mounted in a vehicle and combined with Global Positioning System (GPS). It is capable of acquiring a profile of the pavement surface every 10 mm with accuracy of 1.2 mm for short wavelength at normal vehicle speed. The measured profile data have been analyzed using the IRI and wavelet analysis. In addition, a computer simulation of a large sized aircraft responding to the measured runway profile has been carried out to simulate a takeoff and landing motions of an aircraft. Vertical accelerations at the center of gravity of the aircraft and at the pilot's station have been computed to analyze the aircraft's ride comfort. Furthermore in terms of evaluating aircraft's ride comfort, brainwaves of panels have been monitored.