This project won a 2013 Merit Award from ACEC Michigan.
In summer 2012, C&S completed a new ground run-up facility at Detroit Metro Airport. The project was featured in the October 2013 issue of Airport Improvement.
After aircraft engine maintenance and repairs, airlines regularly “run-up” aircraft engines for testing before aircraft are returned to service. The testing requires airlines to run engines up to full power for periods of time ranging from a few minutes to an hour, generating noise up to the equivalent of an aircraft take-off throughout part or all of that time period. The noise from the engine run-ups is dispersed into the communities surrounding the airport. Because engine run-ups are typically performed late at night or during the early morning hours, the noise generated from the engine run-ups is even more invasive to the airport’s neighbors. This project included a new ground run-up facility with an enclosure and apron that can accommodate all aircraft up to a Boeing 747-8. The three-sided enclosure structure is 310 feet long by 290 feet wide, with 42-foot-high walls that are lined with 2,000 noise-absorbing acoustical panels. The total area of the facility includes 25,000 square yards of Portland cement concrete pavement. Noise from engine run-ups are now directed upward rather than outward into the local communities. Prior to the construction of the ground run-up facility, airlines performed engine run-ups at several locations on the airport and impacted 20 square miles and approximately 1,800 residences surrounding the airport. With the new ground run-up enclosure, only 2.2 square miles are impacted and no residences are affected.