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Aircraft noise around airports — independent numbers for residents, juristic persons and developers

Suvarnabhumi's third runway redrew the noise map of eastern Bangkok and Samut Prakan, and led Airports of Thailand to set aside roughly twelve billion baht in compensation, with NEF contour bands deciding which houses fall in the purchase zone, the insulation-funding zone or outside both. The Don Mueang and U-Tapao expansions will do the same for their own surroundings. For a resident, the question is which side of the line the house is on, and whether the figures used to draw that line match what is actually heard. For a juristic person or a village, the question is what data to contest it with together. For a developer, the question is whether this plot will still sell units once the movements increase. Geonoise answers all three with measurement that is independent of both the airport and the claimant.

When to call us

  • A house or estate classified outside the compensation zone, or in a band with less entitlement than it believes it should have, needing real data to contest it
  • A condominium juristic person, housing estate or school that wants one report on behalf of all its residents
  • A house that has received insulation funding and wants to verify that the contractor's work delivered the sound insulation that was paid for
  • A developer considering land near a flight path, who needs current and future levels before fixing the façade specification
  • An environmental impact assessment for a project near an airport, which requires aircraft-noise measurement at the receivers
  • A dispute or court case needing an expert witness on aircraft noise

How we help

  • Continuous measurement at the house or community with a Class 1 station for at least seven days, logging every movement as an event with its LAmax and SEL, and the day, night and Ldn levels.
  • Separation of aircraft noise from road traffic and community noise by audio recording and event analysis, so that the figure reported is aircraft noise, not the total.
  • Conversion of the measured results into the same metric used to draw the contours, so that the house can be placed directly against the NEF line and the real value shown to be above or below the map.
  • Prediction of future levels from the published movement forecasts and flight tracks, for developers and site screening.
  • Façade sound insulation measured before and after insulation works to ISO 16283-3, using real aircraft passages or a loudspeaker as the source, to establish how many decibels the funded work delivered.
  • Façade, glazing and ventilation specifications for new developments, to reach internal levels at which units can be sold.
  • A report the juristic person or estate can submit on behalf of all residents, and an expert report for an appeal or court process.

What you get

  • An aircraft-noise measurement report of seven days or more, with the event table for every movement, the statistics and the comparison with the NEF contours
  • A comparison of measured values against the map used to set entitlement, written in a form that can be submitted in an appeal
  • Before-and-after façade sound insulation verification report
  • A site screening report with current and future levels and the façade specification required
  • An expert report, where the matter proceeds to appeal or litigation

Standards applied

ISO 20906 (unattended monitoring of aircraft noise around airports) · ISO 1996-1/-2 · ISO 16283-3 (façade sound insulation) · NEF, Ldn and Leq metrics as used by the authorities · National Environment Board Notification No. 15 (B.E. 2540) · IEC 61672-1 Class 1 · instruments calibrated by an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory

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FAQ

What is an NEF contour and who draws it?
NEF (Noise Exposure Forecast) is a cumulative aircraft-noise metric computed from the number of movements, aircraft types, tracks and times of day, then drawn as lines on a map. The airport or its consultant calculates it, and the lines decide which houses receive which level of compensation. The figures on the map are a forecast, not a measurement at your house.
Our house is outside the contour but the noise is severe. What can we do?
Measure at the house for at least seven days and compare with what the map says the level should be. If the measured value is higher, that is evidence for an appeal on behalf of the estate or juristic person, which carries more weight than an individual complaint. We measure independently of both the airport and the claimant.
Why seven days?
Because aircraft noise changes with wind direction, the runway in use and the day of the week. A single day may catch the runway operating the other way. Seven days covers the usual runway-use pattern, and ISO 20906 sets out this continuous method.
We received insulation funding. What should be checked?
That the glazing, doors and sealing the contractor installed deliver the façade sound insulation that was paid for. We measure before and after to ISO 16283-3; the difference in decibels is the evidence that the work performed, and the basis for requiring correction if it did not.
We are buying land near a flight path. How concerned should we be?
It depends on the position relative to the approach and departure tracks and on future movements, not just today's. A screening gives the current level from measurement, the future level from the expansion plan, and the façade specification needed to make the units saleable — which affects both the build cost and the price that should be offered.
Will Don Mueang and U-Tapao have similar compensation?
Both expansions go through impact assessment and generally carry their own mitigation and compensation measures. Having measured data at your property before the expansion begins is the most valuable baseline you can hold in that process.
Our estate has 200 houses. Must every one be measured?
No. Representative positions are measured according to their location relative to the tracks, and the results are combined with a model to cover the whole estate. One report in the name of the juristic person or estate committee carries more weight and costs far less than two hundred.
Can the report be used in an appeal or in court?
Yes. It cites ISO 20906 and ISO 1996, uses calibrated instruments and is signed by a named engineer. Where the matter proceeds to legal process, see Expert Witness & Forensic Acoustics.