Management of Aircraft Noise to Increase Ecological Compatibility of Residential Areas

Abstract

Development of air transport branch has been inevitably accompanied by environmental pollution. Using international approach, methodology assessing environmental risks from civil aviation, has been permanently enhanced. The purpose of the investigation is to decrease negative environmental effect of aircraft noise on population of the urban areas in the vicinity of airports. Within the balanced approach to management of the aircraft noise, field surveys of noise environment were performed on the residential areas adjacent to the Elizovo International Airport (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski). Emergence of piston engine aviation has been the main factor of adverse effect on humans and their habitat. Initially the issue was limited by the noise generated by propellers. When reactive era came to the scene, though, and aero-gas dynamic flows within the powerplants, and aerodynamic noise from airframe overflow became the main sources of noise, subsequences of aircraft noise came to be the matter of concern for wide range of specialists. The need to increase capability of aircraft and their speed lead to augmentation of the powerplants thrust, and, as a result, the sound power generated by aircraft rapidly grew. And the severity of the issue has been growing on with the development of aviation, enhancement of international air fleet and flying intensity. As a rule, the airports are located either within cities, or directly in the residential areas which generates extremely unfavourable acoustic conditions for residential population and reduces quality of life. At the present a set of operations to assess noise conditions is carried out in the vicinity of the major airports of the world. It has been established that the localities within a radius of 5-10 km under the aircraft routes are systematically subject to high levels of aircraft wide-band noise with maximal acoustic energy within 63-1,000 Hz. Based on the performed assessment of the noise environment, a foundation was issued to use the most efficient architectural and construction anti-noise actions, in order to obtain maximal ecological benefits.