Construction Information and Noise Forecast
About the construction project
The new runway safety area is an 8,100 square metre concrete land bridge to provide a cleared area measuring 90 metres by 90 metres from the end of the runway strip to assist in the deceleration of an aircraft.
Construction has involved the installation of more than one hundred 27 metre long pre-cast concrete structural beams, each weighing more than 25 tonnes.
Construction of the runway safety area has been a complex task. This is because its construction is complicated by the presence of some of Sydney's essential infrastructure and the proximity of the Cooks River. Located at the western end of the east-west runway are:
- Sydney Water's South and Western Suburbs Ocean Outfall Sewer (SWSOOS), the city's largest sewer.
- One of EnergyAustralia's high voltage power cables.
- The M5 East Motorway tunnel under the Cooks River.
- Other infrastructure including Sydney Airport's perimeter road, a gas pipeline and various power and fibre optic cables owned by Airservices Australia.
Construction program
Please click on the link below to download a copy of the plans for the new runway safety area:
Runway Safety Area plans (200.67kB)
Construction noise forecast
Each month, Sydney Airport will publish a construction noise forecast report. This report will detail the type and extent of construction noise likely to be experienced in the following month as a result of the project.
The Conditions of Ministerial Approval for the Runway Safety Project specify the following acceptable construction noise levels:
|
Period
|
Time
|
Noise levels (dBA)
|
| Morning Shoulder |
0500hrs to 0700hrs |
48 |
| Daytime |
0700hrs to 1800hrs |
75 |
| Evening |
1800hrs to 2200 hrs |
54 |
| Evening Shoulder |
2200hrs to 2400hrs |
49 |
| Night Time |
2400hrs to 0500hrs |
43 |
The project is essentially complete, and only minor finishing work is needed on the airport Perimeter Road. As this work will all occur beneath the surface of the new runway safety area, it will not affect use of the runway. Further, it is not expected that this work will result in any construction noise impact in areas outside of Sydney Airport.
In summary, compliance is expected during daytime, evening, evening shoulder and night-time periods for proposed Runway Safety Project activities occurring during April 2010.