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Guardian: The prospect of a third runway at the UK’s busy Heathrow Airport has many local residents upset because of the potential for even more noise. To help mitigate people’s fears, Arup SoundLab in central London has simulated what the proposed expanded airport would sound like. In the lab, technicians can re-create different scenarios that include various combinations of aircraft, times of day, and distances from the airport. Because older, noisier planes are being phased out and newer, quieter planes are being introduced, the lab is also set up to compare current and future sound scenarios. Heathrow officials suggest that the new runway, which will require steeper landing approaches and keep planes flying higher for longer, may even provide some respite from the noise.
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Sound lab used to simulate and promote Heathrow expansion Free
24 March 2015