Modifications muffle noise to a whisper

The deafening roar of airplanes taking off from the Bob Hope Airport

will no longer interrupt students and teachers during class in Luther

Burbank Middle School.

The school board on Thursday approved the final payment of $5,000

to Ove Arup & Partners California LTD for its acoustic services at

Luther Burbank Middle School, which is located just over a mile away

from the airport.

Noise abatement modifications to the building were completed in

August as part of Burbank Unified School District’s modernization of

the school.

The Federal Aviation Administration established a fund to help pay

for projects at the school including Arup’s services, which included

conducting sound tests and giving noise attenuation recommendations

and construction inspections. The administration paid $8,000 of a

$13,000 agreement with Arup, leaving the remaining $5,000 balance for

the district.

“Basically the FAA had a hard figure number for what they would

contribute to the project,” said Kevin Lastrapes, a project manager

for the district’s facilities department. The noise abatement portion

of modernizing the 700 building of Luther Burbank Middle School

included installing dual-pane sound windows, insulated walls and a

sound barrier in the ceiling. The other buildings at the school have

had noise abetment apparatus in place for several years.

“We’re very happy about the 700 wing being completed,” Principal

Anita Schackmann said. “We do have a lot of airplane noise in the

area and whatever they can do to make sure instructional programs

aren’t affected by the noise, we’re happy about it.”

Arup’s final tests included measuring the difference in decibel

level before and after the construction by placing noise monitors

inside and outside of the classroom and allowing them to record data

for 24 hours.

“That way we know how much aircraft noise gets inside the

classroom,” said Amir Yazdanniyaz, an associate principal for Ove

Arup and Partners California LTD .

The test concluded that the modifications were sufficient, he

said.

“There was a lot of improvement,” Yazdanniyaz said. “It meets the

goals and criteria that were set and it’s all in line with the

recommendations made by the FAA.”

The FAA recommended that the noise coming inside the classroom

from passing planes not exceed a 45 decibel an hour average and a 55

decibel maximum, Yazdanniyaz said.

“That was the final test, to ensure the kids can be in the

classroom and not be affected,” Chief of Facilities Officer Craig

Jellison said. “When you stand inside now its just like a whisper

going by, when before you’d have to stop class. Now class can

continue without interruption.”

Debra Reynolds taught art in the 700 building before the

modernization.

“I’d have to stop and not talk because of the jets flying over for

a minute and a half at a time,” she said. “It’s a huge improvement,

now you can’t hear it. We just go on our merry way just fine.”