Determination of the Friction Coefficient and Thickness of the Macrotexture in the Runway of Ushaia’s International Airport

The air operation in Ushuaia is of such difficulty that landing in the runway of the old Sea and air Base at Ushuaia was considered quite a challenge by the pilots that operated there. Several accidents occurred, amongst them one that destroyed a Boeing B-737 and another in which a Fokker F-28 was seriously damaged. This situation attracted attention to the surface characteristics of the runway surface, aspect that up to now had not received special attention in the rest of the country's airports. Two runway paving works were carried out in the city of Ushuaia between 1985 and 1995 and the author participated in both works, the repaving of the old Sea and air Base in 1987, and the paving of runway 07-25 of Tlshijaia's new international airport.- In both cases it was a desition betweeen the alternative of a deep and open macrotexture, and the demands that outline the durability of the exposed surfaces subjected to freezing and thaw cycles and the physical and chemical aggression of the winter fight against the snow and ice. - As the demands of durability outlined difficulties in reaching the specified values of superficial texture, it was necesary to carry Out extensive investigations to guarantee the security of the air operation and to determine if the lack of texture made hydroplanning a thrcat to air operations.- This work reports on the superficial texture assesments, friction coefficient determinations and the analytical evaluations carried out as a consequence. -