Author(s): Kaihua Guo; Mingfu Guan

Linked Author(s): Kaihua Guo

Keywords: Irport runway; Numerical simulation; Water film depth; Grooved pavement surface; Wind speed

Abstract: The accumulation of surface water on airport runways due to intense rainfall can disrupt aviation operations, with a water depth of just 3 mm being enough to cause severe operational failures. However, the impacts of rainfall intensity and wind conditions on surface water depths are poorly understood, given the lack of historical data on water depths during various rainfall events. Therefore, it is crucial to develop modeling techniques that can simulate and predict the distribution of surface water depths under different weather conditions, especially along the lateral direction of the runway, to assess whether aircraft can taxi and take off safely. This task is complicated by the regular grooves that are usually equipped on runways to increase resistance and ensure normal taxiing, as well as the millimeter-scale water depths and complicated weather conditions that require efficient and accurate computational models. To address these challenges, a hydrodynamic model has been developed that can accurately simulate the hydraulic process of millimeter-scale thin-layer water flow under strong wind conditions. The model calibrates with experimental data from a down-scaled model built based on the prototype of Hong Kong International Airport's existing runway following geometric similarity. The research establishes a relationship between rainfall intensity, wind speed, and depth of the water film layer on the runway under design storms with different return periods, with or without wind, to provide theoretical foundations and recommendations for safe take-off in various weather situations.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/978-90-833476-1-5_iahr40wc-p0424-cd

Year: 2023