Patent ID: 8880244

Claim:
A method for evaluating the structural compatibility of an aircraft ( 2 ) for use on a runway ( 5 ) having a profile with one or more roughnesses ( 7 , 8 ) in the form of bumps and/or dips using a computer-based system, comprising the steps of: generating ( 102 ) by said system a first equivalent bump height curve ( 25 ) indicative of the elevation and/or depression of the one of more roughnesses ( 7 , 8 ) of the runway ( 5 ) with respect to a reference value; comparing ( 106 ) by said system the first equivalent bump height curve ( 25 ) with a second equivalent bump height curve ( 30 ) indicative of elevation and/or depression limit values of reference roughnesses such that, when the aircraft ( 2 ) encounters said reference roughnesses, the stresses transferred to the structure of the aircraft or parts thereof are lower than a first acceptable limit load, the second equivalent bump height curve moreover defining a first acceptability region ( 31 a ) and a first non-acceptability region ( 31 b ) of said stresses transferred when the aircraft ( 2 ) encounters said reference roughnesses; generating ( 103 ) by the system a first power spectral density curve ( 62 ) using a spectral analysis of the profile of the runway ( 5 ); comparing ( 107 ) by the system the first power spectral density curve ( 62 ) with a second power spectral density curve ( 60 ) relating to a profile of a reference runway such that, when the aircraft ( 2 ) runs along said reference runway, the stresses transferred to the structure of the aircraft or parts thereof are lower than a second admissible limit load, the second power spectral density curve ( 60 ) moreover defining a second acceptability region ( 61 a ) and a second non-acceptability region ( 61 b ) of said stresses transferred when the aircraft ( 2 ) runs along the reference runway; verifying ( 108 ) by the system if the first equivalent bump height curve ( 25 ) develops entirely within the first acceptability region and if the first power spectral density curve ( 62 ) develops entirely within the second acceptability region; and authorizing or denying ( 112 , 114 , 116 ) by the system the aircraft ( 2 ) the use of the runway ( 5 ) on the basis of the result of said step of verifying ( 108 ).