Airports advocate the “Barrier Method”

Citation

(2004), "Airports advocate the “Barrier Method”", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 76 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2004.12776aaf.009

Airports advocate the “Barrier Method”

Airports advocate the “Barrier Method”

Keywords: Aircraft industry, Noise levels, Barriers

Demand for air travel is again on the increase following a general recovery after the events of 9:11. A quick glance at the statistics illustrates a daunting prospect for airports, authorities and environmentally conscious governments who have the unenviable task of managing that growth both in the air and on the ground.

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  Passenger growth in the UK is expected to increase from 180 million last year (2002) to 501 million by the year 2030.

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  Worldwide passenger traffic is expected to grow by about 5 percent per annum and freight by over 6 percent per annum.

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  The world fleet of aircraft is expected to double in number by 2020.

For the past two decades, the UK government has been considering the option of building new runways at existing sites to cope with the increase in aircraft movements. One thing is certain, for the UK and London particularly to maintain its position as the key European air travel hub, fighting off rivals such as Paris, Frankfurt and Schipol, increasing traffic capacity will be crucial.

Community anti-noise lobby growing

Environmental lobbyists regard the inevitable impact as unacceptable and local residents around airports are increasingly mobilising protests and legal actions in an effort to prevent further rises in noise nuisance created particularly by ground movements. A recent court case in which a couple living close by RAF Wittering in Stamford, UK, successfully sued the MOD for damages to quality of life, due to Harrier training noise, may well be the tip of the iceberg.

All things considered, airport authorities everywhere are really up against it. An increasingly informed public is more aware than ever of the implications of this growth for their quality of life. Airport authorities have to demonstrate that they are listening and taking the appropriate steps to combat these problems within their development strategies. Aviation industry pressure has for many years persuaded the government to provide noise insulation grants which are available to residents living in the vicinity of major airports, and they themselves are increasingly committed to prevention measures, seeking more effective noise reduction solutions. Many airport Web sites feature their “noise management strategy”, and these are increasingly incorporating the use of physical barriers, screens and deflectors to help achieve lower noise levels generated by ground movements and engine run-ups.

City Airport – meteoric growth

One such airport is City Airport in London. As flights and traffic have grown rapidly over the years, barriers have been a fundamental tool in avoiding discontent among local commercial and residential neighbours.

Since City Airport opened in the 1980s, the total number of passengers has risen to over 1.6 million (2002). With the growth of the global economy and the role of the City in the financial markets, the City Airport's services are of increasing value to the local business community. The Airport's target is to grow to an annual throughput of 3.5-4 million passengers over the next 7 years. Compared to the overall increase in air transport flights for UK airports, over the decade, of 40 percent, at London City the number increased by a staggering 430 per cent.

The role of noise barriers

A number of noise barriers were built when the Airport was first developed and these continue to provide valuable noise containment. With recent increases in traffic a report from the Airport Consultative Committee has led to the requirement for more noise barriers.

Industrial Acoustics Company (IAC) which has been servicing the Airports sector for over 400 years in the US, UK and mainland Europe, is an active force in providing this type of product to airports around the world. Barriers of the type being designed for City Airport's perimeter are already protecting people living in the vicinity of the Airbus manufacturing centre in Hamburg, Germany and communities in Greater London, near Heathrow Airport.

City Airport is already ranked tenth in the UK in terms of Air Transport Movements and further increases are expected following the introduction of BA's new flights to Paris, Frankfurt and Glasgow. The London City Airport Consultative Committee, which actively involves the local community on issues of airport development, is monitoring closely the £8 million Airfield Development Programme which is acclaimed for its responsible approach and attention to noise control measures. So much so that City Airport has won Airport of the Year in this year's “Regional Airline World” Awards, for an Airport whose long-term strategy keeps the facility both commercially viable and environmentally sustainable.

In addition to noise generated from runway traffic, engine ground running generates considerable noise, potentially 24 h a day, 7 days a week. Acoustic barriers in the shape of Ground Run-Up Enclosures (GREs) are invaluable in allowing these activities to take placeround the clock and keep aircraft operations on schedule.

Heathrow – barriers' valuable role

IAC built the Run-Up pen used by British Airways at Heathrow Airport, located just outside the perimeter of the airfield itself, in the BA's Maintenance Facility. BA also leases the Pen to “hospitalised” aircraft on request.

Ken Stevens is Facilities Engineering Manager with British Airways located at Heathrow. “The IAC pen takes all our aircraft including 747s and the 777s and is a great performer, and we have very little maintenance to do on it. It keeps the noise down very effectively, when we're revving engines during testing the pen muffles noise to around 75 dB.” Ken stresses that BA are really doing their bit on noise abatement, and always have. He adds: “In the media it's only bad things that ever make the headlines, well, here is an area where BA are really responsible. We're already looking at our noise abatement strategy over the longer term especially thinking of when T5 comes on stream in 2008. Expansion is inevitable but we'll be doing our share to make sure that noise is kept down as far as possible.”

Technological advances

Barriers have come a long way since the earliest days. Fraser Alexander is a leading engineer at IAC: “Today's barriers have fire control systems, remote weather monitoring, and acoustic control rooms where the guy operating the facility can work in comfort. Images are sent via dedicated CCTV systems to a local PC and on to the airport's intranet site.” Able to withstand extreme blasts and all weather conditions the barriers can also be relocated by virtue of the steel frames and modular panels, while floodlights and under-wing lighting enables round the clock operation. Expected noise reductions for a B747 mounted RB 211 engine of around 20 dB(A) are typical (Plates 1 and 2).

Plate 1 Blast deflector at Barcelona's Airport

Airports worldwide use IAC barriers and all types of aircraft can be accommodated from Boeings to Beechcraft and military aircraft.

Plate 2 Blast deflector at Hamburg's Airport

Barcelona Airport recently commissioned a barrier to protect personnel using a perimeter service roadway from exhaust blast from aircraft turning on a taxi way. The 40 m long wake deflector presented complex design requirements: it had to negotiate ground services and a large perimeter drainage channel, and was also cranked to follow the contour of the service road. Julio Rubio Marque's is managing director of IAC's Spanish operations, IAC Boet Stopson Espanola, SA: “Airport engineers are very positive about the early results. This project at Barcelona Airport is attracting a great deal of attention: Madrid airport and one other key facility here in Spain have already shown interest as they have similar requirements. We anticipate a considerable rise in demand for blast deflectors by the end of the year”.

Looking ahead the demand for barriers generally is on the increase. “We've been in this business for over 40 years, but innovation is crucial,” says Dave Greggor, Marketing and Sales Support manager for IAC. “The acoustic characteristics of today's barriers are world's apart from the early days. We've supplied military and commercial airports all over the world including the US, from turnkey aircraft test facilities, to ground run up enclosures and hush houses, where the aircraft is completely enclosed in an acoustically controlled environment. We've seen a marked increase in interest in barriers and ground run-up enclosures over the past 12 months. Environmental and community pressures are mounting.”

Statistics speak for themselves – a prolific rise in air travel is expected: for airports the “barrier method” is a popular method for the prevention unwanted local discontent.

Details available from: Industrial Acoustics Limited (IAC). Web site: www.iacl.co.uk