Airport noise in South Africa – Prediction models and their effect on land-use planning PAUL GOLDSCHAGG Dissertation presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Stellenbosch. Prof HL Zietsman December 2007 ii AUTHOR’S DECLARATION I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in this dissertation is my own original work and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it at any university for a degree. Signature: _________________________ Date: _________________________ Copyright © 2007 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved iii ABSTRACT The use of average energy aircraft noise contours as the sole means for guiding aircraft noise-based planning around airports is being questioned increasingly. A growing proportion of residents who live in neighbourhoods adjacent to airports are dissatisfied with the averaging procedure that is employed. In their experience of exposure to aircraft noise, particularly in the evening and at night when they are at home, the average energy aircraft noise descriptors are misleading. In order to effectively analyse the socio-spatial interaction of annoyance at and interference by aircraft noise, an alternative approach has been suggested – a supplemental noise perspective. Conventional approaches to aircraft noise land use planning based on average energy noise descriptors run the risk of being ineffectual, or even counterproductive, because they do not consider the central aspects of disturbance, namely the loudness of an event and the number of times events are heard. Consequently, an alternative measure to ameliorate the limitations of average energy noise contours is needed by which airport neighbours, the aviation industry and town planners can better understand the nature of the problem. Although supplemental noise analysis is not new, this study applies it to a South African international airport (OR Tambo) for the first time. The airport’s operations are typical of many busy airports close to large urban areas, serving domestic, regional and international routes. Reportedly, there have been few complaints about noise emanating from the airport, but when they are made they are usually about evening and night-time aircraft noise events. In the context of South Africa as a developing society in transition, where growth of urban settlements continues apace, average energy aircraft noise information must be enhanced by providing supplemental noise information. This study investigated the broad issue of land use planning around airports by employing two aircraft noise prediction models, namely the Integrated Noise Model and the Transparent Noise Information Package, to establish the various potential effects and consequences of night-time aircraft noise in noise zones demarcated according to supplemental aircraft noise information. The effects and consequences examined include annoyance, disturbance of sleep, telephone conversations, watching iv television and work or study, and the likelihood that people will move away to escape night-time aircraft noise. The perceptions of residents living in neighbourhoods around the airport were surveyed and the responses analysed according to noise zones classified as supplemental noise information. The results show that the airport’s neighbours are annoyed by aircraft noise and that aircraft noise interferes with normal household activities. This annoyance and interference decreases with increasing distance from the airport. Furthermore, reported annoyance and interference is greater in those areas where higher numbers of noise events are encountered, even at relatively low noise levels of 60 LAmax – something not evident from average energy noise contours. This finding strengthens the argument that it is insufficient to provide only average energy aircraft noise information when studying the impact of aircraft noise. To understand the situation more fully, supplemental noise information is essential. The study concludes with a framework constructed to apply supplemental aircraft noise information to the abatement and mitigation measures normally used to deal with aircraft noise. KEYWORDS and KEY PHRASES Airport noise, aircraft noise, aircraft noise annoyance/interference, aircraft noise descriptors, average energy noise contours, Integrated Noise Model, Johannesburg International Airport, land use planning, noise abatement/mitigation, noise zones, OR Tambo International Airport, supplemental noise information, Transparent Noise Information Package. v OPSOMMING Die gebruik van gemiddelde energie geraaskontoere as die enigste manier om vliegtuiggeraas-gebaseerde beplanning rondom lughawens te rig, word in toenemende mate bevraagteken. Al hoe meer inwoners in die omstreke van lughawens is ontevrede met die aweryprosedure wat gevolg word. Hulle ervaring van blootstelling aan vliegtuiggeraas – veral in die aand en nag – getuig daarvan dat die gemiddelde energie geraasbeskrywers misleidend is. Om die sosiaal-ruimtelike interaksie van ergenis met en steuring deur vliegtuiggeraas effektief te ontleed, is ‘n alternatiewe benadering al voorgestel, naamlik ‘n aanvullende geraasperspektief. Konvensionele benaderings tot grondgebruikbeplanning wat vliegtuiggeraas oorweeg, loop die gevaar om ondoeltreffend, selfs teenproduktief, te wees omdat hulle nie die sentrale aspekte van steuring, naamlik die luidheid van ‘n gebeurtenis en die aantal kere wat dit gehoor word, in ag neem nie. Gevolglik word ‘n ander maatstaf benodig om die beperkings van die gemiddelde energie geraaskontoere te verbeter sodat die lughawe se bure, die lugvaartindustrie en stadsbeplanners die aard van die probleem beter kan verstaan. Ofskoon aanvullende geraasanalise nie nuut is nie, word dit in hierdie studie vir die eerste maal op ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse internasionale lughawe (OR Tambo) toegepas. Die lughawe se werksaamhede is soortgelyk aan baie ander bedrywige lughawens naby groot stedelike gebiede wat binnelandse, streeks- en internasionale roetes bedien. Volgens berig, word min klagtes oor geraas afkomstig van die lughawe ingedien, maar wanneer dit wel gebeur, handel dit meesal oor vliegtuiggeraas saans en snags. In die konteks van Suid- Afrika as ‘n ontwikkelende en transformerende gemeenskap met stedelike gebiede wat aanhou snel groei, moet gemiddelde energie vliegtuiggeraasinligting deur aanvullende geraasinligting versterk word. Hierdie studie het die breë kwessie van grondgebruik rondom lughawens ondersoek deur twee modelle vir vliegtuiggeraasvoorspelling, naamlik die Geïntegreerde Geraasmodel en die Deursigtige Geraasinligtingspakket, in te span om die verskeie potensiële effekte en gevolge van nagtelike vliegtuiggeraas in geraassones afgebaken volgens aanvullende vi vliegtuiggeraasinligting, vas te stel. Die effekte en gevolge wat ondersoek is, sluit verergdheid, die versteuring van slaap, telefoongesprekke, televisiekyk en werk- of studiebedrywighede in, asook die waarskynlikheid dat mense sal wegtrek om nagtelike vlietuiggeraas te ontvlug. ‘n Opname oor die persepsies van inwoners in die buurte rondom die lughawe is uitgevoer en die response is volgens geraassones geklassifiseer as aanvullende geraasinligting. Die resultate toon dat die lughawe se bure versteur is deur vliegtuiglawaai en dat die geraas by normale huishoudelike aktiwiteite inmeng. Hierdie ergenis en steuring neem af met toenemende afstand vanaf die lughawe. Verder is vasgestel dat die vermelde versteuring en inmenging groter is in dié gebiede waar meer geraasvoorvalle plaasvind, selfs teen relatief lae geraasvlakke van 60 LAmax – iets wat nie blyk uit gemiddelde energie geraaskontoere nie. Hierdie bevinding ondersteun die argument dat dit ontoereikend is om slegs gemiddelde energie vliegtuiggeraasinligting by die bestudering van die effekte van vliegtuiggeraas te gebruik. Aanvullende geraasinligting is noodsaaklik vir beter begrip van geraastoestande. Die studie sluit met ‘n raamwerk waarmee aanvullende vliegtuiggeraasinligting aangewend kan word by die geraasverminderings- en verligtingsmaatreëls wat normaalweg ingespan word om met vliegtuiglawaai te handel. SLEUTELWOORDE EN -FRASES Aanvullende geraasinligting, Deursigte Geraasinligtingspakket, ergenis met/steuring deur vliegtuiggeraas, Geïntegreerde Geraasmodel, gemiddelde energie geraaskontoere, geraassones, geraasvermindering, geraasversagting, grondgebruikbeplanning, Johannesburg Internasionale Lughawe, lughawegeraas, OR Tambo Internasionale Lughawe, vliegtuiggeraas, vliegtuiggeraasbeskrywers vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I should like to thank the following people: My supervisor, Prof HL Zietsman, for his advice, guidance and patience, particularly for continuing to work with me after taking retirement. Dr P De Necker for his patient editing. Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) for providing the air traffic movement data. Ekhuruleni Metro for providing the GIS land-use data and other valuable insights. The staff at the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Stellenbosch University, for their assistance. My colleagues, Kobus Reynecke, Andre Bruton and Allen van der Linde for their technical support. My family, parents Eddie and Barbara; wife Jane; and children David, Sarah, Danielle and Michael for all their understanding and encouragement. viii CONTENTS 1 CHAPTER 1: AIRCRAFT NOISE: AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM ...........................1 1.1 BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY.............................................. 1 1.2 RESEARCH PROBLEM: LINKING AIRCRAFT