1. of Runway Friction Testing
The Why and How
of Runway Friction Testing by
Delia Harverson
Findlay Irvine Ltd.
Midlothian, Scotland
and
Thomas J. Yager
NASA Langley Research Center
Hampton, VA, USA
Part 1: A Brief History

2. runway friction testing: history
What were the first Continuous reading Friction Measuring Equipments
[CFMEs] ?
When were they introduced

3. The first CFME was the Skiddometer
designed in Sweden in the late 1950s

4. the second CFME
was the
designed by the UK Ministry of Defence
in the early 1960s

5. Why were these early CFMEs developed?
1962: a Canberra
lands on a winter
contaminated runway ...

6. The first CFMEs were developed mainly for testing in winter conditions
… and comes safely to a stop
The first CFMEs were developed mainly for testing in winter conditions

7. After the Skiddometer and the MuMeter came the Saab Friction Tester
which was also originally designed to measure in winter conditions

8. Later CFMEs were designed as much for maintenance testing as for operational testing

9. Is it as important to measure runway friction in summer as in winter?
question
Is it as important to measure runway friction in summer as in winter?
YES!
In rain, a runway with poor texture and rubber deposits can be just as slippery as a runway contaminated with ice and snow

10. An accident waiting to happen …

11. Most of these accidents need never have happened
another question
Are there more overrun accidents on wet runways or on runways contaminated with ice and snow?
There are substantially more overrun accidents on wet runways
Most of these accidents need never have happened

12. runway friction testing
Nothing will guarantee that an overrun accident won’t happen at your airport …
… but regular use of an approved, well maintained CFME will make it less likely

13. operational & maintenance testing
Operational testing is carried out in natural conditions, in winter, in order to make immediate operational decisions.
Maintenance testing is carried out in carefully controlled conditions, which include an exact amount of water put down in front of the measuring wheel, in order to make engineering decisions.

14. operational & maintenance testing
Should engineering decisions ever be made on the basis of operational testing?
No!
Natural conditions are much too variable to provide a proper basis for engineering decisions

15. runway friction testing
How do we ensure that maintenance friction testing is consistent …
… that the same results are obtained in Lima as in London Heathrow?
… in Santa Cruz as in Singapore?

16. runway friction testing
For this, the international community depends on
ICAO

17. runway friction testing
Before we get onto ICAO’s role, two quick words about the lunch-box test …
Forget it!