Heliport noise contours with and without a penalty for induced building rattle

Abstract

The debate over whether a penalty should be added to the A-weighted noise level of helicopters to account for the added annoyance of building rattles induced by blade slap is long-standing. Recent evidence suggests that the decision to add a penalty should depend on the type of construction in the area subjected to the noise. An implication for community planners is that noise contour maps should be presented in two forms: with and without a penalty, thus allowing the planners to decide whether building codes to reduce rattle should be enforced for new development. Examples from two Army airfields are provided to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of this process. On-site noise monitoring data are also presented to confirm the accuracy of the unpenalized noise contours.