Auralisation: A Valuable Consultation and Engagement Tool for Infrastructure Projects – Case Study of Airspace Change for a Regional Airport

Authors

  • Vincent Jurdic Arup Canada, CA
  • Calum Sharp Arup UK, GB
  • David Hiller Arup UK, GB
  • Ryan Biziorek Arup US, US
  • Caroline Harvey Arup Canada, CA

Abstract

Since the late 1990s, Arup has developed and used auralisation capability to inform the design of some of the world’s best arts and culture venues. Through Arup SoundLabs around the world, clients, designers, major stakeholders and the general public have been able to take informed decisions by experiencing the acoustic implications of designs as they are developed. More recently, auralisation technology has been developed to simulate sound generation and propagation during planning and design for a broad range of infrastructure projects, such as High Speed 2 railway, A66 highway and Heathrow airspace change and expansion in UK; Texas Central High Speed railway and LADoT Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) policy in US; and a wind farm development in Tasmania. The aviation industry is currently introducing new disruptive technologies principally to improve its sustainability performance. The introduction of electric aircraft and delivery drones are likely to revolutionize regional airspace, creating new opportunities for regional airports. Although it is possible to achieve lower noise levels for these new vehicles compared to traditional light aircraft, the sound characteristics (for example tonality and high pitch due to electric motors) and their potential for higher traffic, could give rise to concerns about noise being more noticeable and disturbing to local communities than the current situation. This paper will present the auralisation methodology, successfully applied to a regional UK airport, to address public concerns and assist in the local authority planning process for an airport development masterplan. Through a series of sound demonstrations, members of the public and stakeholders could experience and judge for themselves, the impacts of the proposed airspace and infrastructure changes (such as new types of aircraft, modification of flight paths and increased air traffic).

Additional Files

Published

2023-10-09

How to Cite

1.
Jurdic V, Sharp C, Hiller D, Biziorek R, Harvey C. Auralisation: A Valuable Consultation and Engagement Tool for Infrastructure Projects – Case Study of Airspace Change for a Regional Airport. Canadian Acoustics [Internet]. 2023 Oct. 9 [cited 2025 Feb. 13];51(3):170-1. Available from: https://jcaa.caa-aca.ca/index.php/jcaa/article/view/4090

Issue

Vol. 51 No. 3 (2023): Proceedings of Acoustics Week in Canada 2023 Conference

Section

Proceedings of the Acoustics Week in Canada

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