Eindhoven Air Base is taking measures to combat noise pollution from test-running jet engines. There will be a new construction that should limit the nuisance. This so-called Ground Run-up Enclosure (GRE) must be ready by early 2027. “This means that the air base remains within the noise standards,” says the project manager.
A Royal Air Force aircraft cannot simply get back into the air after major engine maintenance. The aircraft must first run a test run, sometimes for hours. That causes a lot of noise for local residents.
That is why Defense has asked the Central Government Real Estate Agency (RVB) to build a test site where noise can be kept within limits. The RVB is the manager of the buildings and land of the National Government and Defense.
The existing test site now has a simple earth wall, but that is not good enough. “With a wall you simply have much fewer options to technically influence the sound,” explains project manager Roy Habets of the RVB. “The sound can still go in all directions.”
New design with three steel walls
And so it is time for a new design. Research organization TNO has carried out noise measurements on various devices. “NACO, a global airport consultancy and engineering firm, then calculated various options based on those measurements,” says Habets.
Ultimately, three steel walls in a U-shape were chosen. The aircraft must be driven into it backwards. That sounds like a simple solution, but according to Habets it is not.
The construction must send two flows, sound and heat, in different directions. The sound must spread as little as possible. At the same time, the heat from the jet engines must be removed immediately. “An engine cannot withstand breathing its own hot air. In the worst case, an engine can explode.”
To get that heat out, there are slats on the back of the GRE. And the steel walls of the GRE are shaped in such a way that they can absorb sound.
Work after the construction holiday
The work is expected to start after the construction holiday. Then the foundations are made and the cables laid. The GRE should be ready by early 2027. There should be less noise pollution for local residents, although they should not cheer too loudly.
According to Habets, it is impossible to predict exactly how much noise the GRE will block. “It depends on many factors: the wind and other weather conditions. In addition, you have the activity of the air base itself and the civilian part of Eindhoven airport. But we are sure that it will be a significant reduction.”
