Environmental Noise Analysis for Helipad Operations, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) retained HMMH to conduct an environmental noise assessment to determine the effects of placing a rooftop helipad for helicopter transport of patients at the UCSF Medical Center.
HMMH evaluated potential effects on the surrounding community due to helicopter operations. HMMH’s study included a noise measurement program to determine overall sound levels without helicopter operations and to obtain single-event sound levels for helicopters and other events. HMMH also performed noise modeling designed to determine the cumulative noise effects of the helicopter operations.
The study determined that noise from the expected helicopter operations at the proposed helipad is compatible with the existing land use in the surrounding communities. In addition, HMMH assisted UCSF to design a noise mitigation program for nighttime helicopter operations in the community by reducing awakenings from helicopter noise.