In 1974, the Maryland General Assembly passed the Maryland Environmental Noise Act to provide citizen protection from transportation-related noise, including minimizing of residential dwelling aircraft noise exposure. In 1987, as part of this effort, the Maryland State Aviation Administration sponsored the Pilot Residential Sound Insulation Program for 17 dwellings to determine the feasibility and associated costs of reducing aircraft noise intrusion in residential dwellings. Dwellings within the Baltimore-Washington International Airport 65-dB yearly day-night noise level noise zone contour were selected for modification. Selection of dwellings and noise reduction measurements preceded design and specification of architectural modifications to reduce noise. These modifications included replacement of windows and doors, addition of gypsumboard to walls and ceilings, and installation of new heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems. The sound insulation modifications resulted in greater reduction of aircraft noise intrusion by 4 to 10 dB over the previously existing noise reduction values for the three dwellings studied. The energy savings due to the sound insulation modifications resulted in a 3 to 18 percent cost reduction compared to the existing conditions. Sound insulation design goals, construction modifications, preand postmodification noise reduction values, and thermal performance values are described for three dwellings that were part of this program.

In 1974, the Maryland General Assembly passed the Maryland Environmental Noise Act to provide citizen protection from transportation-related noise, including minimizing of residential dwelling aircraft noise exposure. As part of this effort, Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport conducted the Pilot Residential Sound Insulation Program for 17 dwellings to determine the feasibility and associated costs of reducing aircraft noise intrusion in residential dwellings. This project involved determining the number and types of houses affected, selecting representative dwellings for study, measuring the present dwelling noise reduction properties, specifying noise control modifications, and implementing construction modifications to the dwellings. For illustrative purposes, the sound insulation modifications and effects on thermal performance are examined for three of the dwellings.