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Old 14th Jul 2005, 00:48
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OverRun
Prof. Airport Engineer
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Thanks Herc Jerk. The more exciting 6.5 m/s/s maximum braking equates to a horizontal force per tyre of 162 kN in the A380 case, assuming the same maximum braking deceleration rate and at the A380 MTOW (i.e. the rejected takeoff case). This is a horizontal shear stress of 2800 kPa in a 125mm thick asphalt layer. For A380 maximum braking at MLW, the horizontal shear stress is 2000 kPa in a 125mm thick asphalt layer.

This is still comfortably below the likely shear strength of the asphalt of 12000 kPa in summer in temperate climates. However asphalt softens in hot weather and the torsional strength will drop to possibly 4000 kPa in hot climates. On extremely hot days, the strength could drop further and the combination of rejected takeoff/very hot weather might lead to some slippage cracking. However at these temperatures, the asphalt is slightly 'self-healing' and the following aircraft will knead the cracks closed. Many airports in hot climates use modified bitumens in their asphalt to improve their torsional strength at higher temperatures.

Other large aircraft can doubtless exert the same sort of forces, yet there are no general reports of slippage and cracking problems due to heavy braking. There are occasional damage problems with aircraft making locked wheel turns on fresh soft asphalt (the DC-9/MD-80/717 series are the worst), but these are small smearing type scuff marks and not chunks ripped out. It is hard to write about these problems because in the field everyone says they are due to 'aircraft screwing around' but that explanation looks wrong in print somehow.
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