Questions and answers
Helipad and aircraft movements
The new building concept was first reported on at the district committee meeting on 23.10.2015. The district committee meeting on 18.06.2018 was also informed about the new building plans. The BA was informed again on 11.03.2019. At a citizens' meeting on 28.03.2019, residents were informed in detail about the status of the project.
The figures in the noise report are speculative projections that have always been based on the worst-case scenario at various points. This scenario is based on a massive increase in the total number of missions and the assumption that all missions go onto the roof and are associated with a "third" flight movement to transfer to the ground landing area.
A distinction must be made between missions and flight movements. A mission can consist of several flight movements and there is not always a patient on board - but every mission is medically necessary. In future, a mission will usually have 2-3 flight movements with regard to the location in Großhadern with a roof landing pad.
As agreed, the figures have been passed on to the municipality of Planegg for some time. In future, both the Hadern district committee and the municipality of Planegg will regularly receive information about aircraft movements.
- As a basis for the noise report, the increase in aircraft movements from 2005-2017 was extrapolated linearly.
- In the noise calculations, a further increase in the number of movements of up to 10% was taken into account as an assumption, as an increase in highly complex emergency patients and the associated change in helicopter operations cannot be ruled out in the course of the new construction plans (see section 4.2.3 "Aircraft movement figures in the forecast year" of the noise study).
- Furthermore, the 6 months with the highest traffic volumes were used for the extrapolation and extrapolated for the entire year.
- Due to the prescribed calculation procedure, the noise study is based on the assumption that the volume of aircraft movements will increase to 3,920 aircraft movements per year by 2028 ("worst case" scenario).
- The existing corridors will be used for all flights to and from the ground landing site - i.e. probably around 75% of operations.
- Approaches will take place via the existing corridors as far as possible, but must take into account the existing high points, such as the Bettenhaus, Schwesternhochhaus and Filser-Hochhaus.
- Helicopters must always take off and land against the actual wind. The flight corridors must therefore be adapted to the prevailing main wind directions in Munich.
- The usual landing direction (against the frequent westerly wind) also determines the take-off direction.
- Approaches from deviating directions will be able to take a shorter route over undeveloped areas in a westerly direction to the ground landing site if the conditions are right.
- After take-off, the helicopter flies straight ahead and then turns to the existing ground approach direction.
- The requested flight corridor must be aligned with the prevailing main wind direction.
- The shock room is located in the emergency room of the OPZ on the eastern side. A direct connection must be ensured. This can be achieved via the planned roof landing area and an elevator with priority access.
- The new cardiopulmonary vascular center (HLG) must also be built with a direct connection to the emergency room. According to the expert, the area to the west of the OPZ is not large enough for a landing pad
- The landing site is planned at a height of approx. 40 m on the planned HLG (not on the ward block).
- The landing site must be located on a high point due to the flight route (obstacle clearance).
Alternative locations were investigated. However, the investigation revealed that the planned rooftop landing site on the HLG is the option that best meets all legal and medical requirements and can be realized in the course of the planned buildings.
- To the north - the landing site would be even closer to the residential area, which would mean higher noise emissions for residents. In addition, the connection to the shock room is too long.
- West: The shock room is located at the eastern end of the operating center. This would not guarantee a direct connection to the shock room and the connection would be too long. In this variant, the approach also follows the currently planned approach routes.
- To the south - is the existing building. According to the current plans for the development of the hospital, this is to be gradually dismantled.
This means that the eastern location is the most suitable.
The study of variants was coordinated in advance with the Southern Aviation Authority and the selected location was classified as suitable for the procedure.
The location of the new operating theater was dictated by the medical and functional relationships with the existing building. The best possible connection to the treatment wing and the ward block was a prerequisite for the choice of location and the internal, functional allocations. It represents the heart of every hospital and requires a central location.
- The aircraft noise immissions were calculated for a height of 4 m above ground (in accordance with DIN 45684-1: Acoustics - Determination of aircraft noise immissions at landing sites). While a helicopter on the ground landing site is therefore approximately at the height of the calculation grid, a helicopter on the roof landing site is approx. 40 m higher. Due to the greater height and thus the greater distance, the noise immissions are correspondingly lower on a roof landing pad compared to a ground landing pad.
- The landing and take-off process is shorter on the roof landing site and therefore the exposure to operational noise is also lower.
- The helicopter can gain altitude more quickly when taking off from the roof landing pad. This reduces the noise impact on the surrounding area in a shorter time.
As part of an approval procedure, the project-related noise immissions, i.e. those to be expected from the planned operation, must be determined. This also applies to approval procedures under aviation law in accordance with Section 6 LuftVG. In accordance with Section 8 (1) sentence 3 LuftVG, the applicable values of Section 2 (2) FluglärmG must also be observed for landing sites in order to protect the general public and the neighborhood from harmful environmental impacts caused by aircraft noise (see Chapter 3.1 of the noise study). The ground landing site is taken into account.
The EU Environmental Noise Directive was incorporated into German law through an amendment to the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG). According to this, commercial airports with a traffic volume of more than 50,000 movements per year are to be considered as so-called 5th "major airports". The heliports under consideration do not fall within the scope of the EU Environmental Noise Directive
- As with the helicopter missions already carried out, a maximum noise-related wake-up reaction and the associated disturbance of residents' sleep during a night-time rescue mission cannot be ruled out with the planned future arrivals and departures.
- There were 55 patients after GH at night (10 p.m. - 6 a.m.) in 2018, i.e. 1 patient per week.
- There were a total of 0.6 landings per night in 2018.
- The helicopter is mainly used to deliver extremely time-critical patients to Großhadern. Severe clinical pictures require the fastest possible treatment in the shock room with its extended diagnostic and treatment options.
- The previous practice of moving patients twice means mechanical stress. The patient is also put at risk, for example, by the dislocation of unstable spinal injuries and instruments/devices.
- These are justifiable reasons why a helipad in close proximity to the shock room is a mandatory requirement for admission to the major injury procedure (SAV) of the statutory accident insurance DGUV (requirement according to § 34 SGB VII for hospitals to participate in the major injury procedure (SAV) in the version of January 1, 2013). Without a helipad in the planned vicinity of the shock room, the hospital's status as an SAV facility is more than at risk. This would have far-reaching consequences for the entire trauma care at the hospital and would call into question an important trauma center in the region. The University of Munich Hospital is a certified supra-regional trauma center and participates in the German Trauma Registry. Data from the trauma register clearly shows that patients treated at the hospital have an above-average probability of survival. So far, all patients in the region have benefited from this quality of care.
- Added to this is the new regulation of emergency care structures by the Federal Joint Committee in 04/2018: the basis for comprehensive emergency care is, among other things, the requirement for a helicopter landing site, which generally allows patients to be transferred by air without intermediate transportation. (G-BA = highest decision-making body of the joint self-administration of doctors, hospitals and health insurance companies in Germany - regulates quality assurance measures for the healthcare system, among other things).
Severely injured patients who are only classified as having suffered an accident at work during treatment would have to be transferred to an SAV hospital following their initial treatment, which would cause a high level of stress for patients.
As a provider of the highest possible level of care, the hospital has the resources and capacity to provide the full range of medical services. The loss of the SAV would remove an important component of emergency care and would therefore very likely send a signal for the entire emergency care at the University of Munich Hospital. If the SAV is lost, it is therefore assumed that the range of services offered by the hospital would be significantly restricted.
A loss of the SAV and thus a reduction in the range of services would lead to the following developments in particular:
- The treatment of severely injured patients is an essential component at a university hospital for research, teaching and patient care and would no longer be possible to the extent necessary for a university hospital.
- The academic attractiveness of the hospital as a teaching and further training center for doctors (especially for specialists in orthopaedics and trauma surgery as well as additional further training in emergency medicine) would be significantly reduced.
From the perspective of a university maximum care provider, there is no alternative to participating in the SAV.
The framework conditions for approvals only became more stringent after the planning of the OPZ was completed.
- Leipzig University Hospital - two rooftop landing pads
- University Medical Center Freiburg - two roof landing pads
- Magdeburg University Hospital - rooftop/ground landing pad
- Deggendorf Hospital - two roof landing pads
- MHH Hannover - rooftop landing pad for two helicopters
- University Hospital Regensburg - two ground landing pads
- BGU Frankfurt /Main - two roof landing pads
- BGU Halle /Saale - two roof landing pads
- Passau Hospital - rooftop landing pad for two helicopters
- In order to theoretically give up the ground landing site, it would be necessary to set up at least two flight operation areas plus hangar (including refueling system) and service rooms on the roof of the HLG.
- The cubic capacity of the building does not provide the "floor space" required for this.
- In addition, noise emissions for residents can be reduced by retaining the ground landing area, as the majority of landings that do not require a shock room connection will take place there.
The hospital fulfills all information obligations.
- The application for approval under aviation law was published in the Official Gazette of the City of Munich on 21.01.2019.
- The application documents were on public display from Tue. 29.01.2019 to Thu. 28.02.2019.
- In addition, the district committee has already been informed about the new construction project several times.
The Air Traffic Act and the comments published on it describe in detail how the construction of an elevated helipad is to be assessed in legal and licensing terms. The clear spatial separation of the landing sites and the considerable difference in altitude are evidence that this cannot be a significant change to the existing landing site, but must be assessed as a separate facility.
The legal requirements for a planning approval procedure are not met. According to the LuftVG, this is only required for airports with a restricted construction protection area (building permit restrictions within a 1.5 km radius!). Otherwise, an approval procedure must be carried out. Ultimately, procedural questions must be clarified by the Air Authority South at the Government of Upper Bavaria as the authority conducting the procedure.
Parking garage
A prerequisite for the start of construction work on the first construction phase is the replacement of the lost parking spaces in order to prevent the displacement of stationary traffic into the neighboring streets. As the possible construction of a multi-storey parking lot on the Parkharfe means that further parking spaces will be lost for the duration of the construction period, the multi-storey parking lot will have to be built in two phases. This will allow a large part of the parking harp to remain in operation. The construction of an excavation pit for an underground parking garage in two sections is technically difficult and takes considerably longer. The construction time can be up to three times that of a parking garage. This delay would be directly transferred to the start of construction of the new building due to the described dependency between the new building and the parking garage. The new building would possibly be delayed by years.
The main access road is Marchioninistrasse via Nordpforte.
The entrance via Butenandstraße has generally been possible since the opening of the hospital grounds for the passage of bus route 266 and is also used as a shortcut for through traffic. The road is under the management and responsibility of the LMU.
The entrance via the south gate at Max-Lebsche-Platz is restricted. It is used for bus traffic on routes 54 and 266 and by authorized persons with the appropriate medium.
Any changes or additions to the access regulations will be left to further planning.
Questions on other topics
In a joint project between the KUM and the LMU, the majority of the diagnostic units (clinical-theoretical and clinical medicine) are to be brought together in a modern diagnostics center. The diagnostics center will be a laboratory building that will achieve synergy effects in research and patient care and strengthen cooperation between the hospital and the LMU. Safety is regulated by the various regulations governing the construction and operation of laboratory buildings, and the Max von Pettenkofer Institute has already been working at the site for many years as part of its healthcare mandate.
In the meantime, the name of the center has been changed from "In-Vitro Center" to "Diagnostikum". The Diagnostikum will house the Institute of Laboratory Medicine, the Department of Transfusion Medicine, Cell Therapeutics and Haemostaseology as well as the Institute of Human Genetics with space for research, teaching and patient care. The LMU's entire diagnostics department and parts of the Max von Pettenkofer Institute's research will be located in the building. A bio-bank is a collection of substances, such as body fluids or tissue samples, with associated data managed in databases and their conservative storage at -80 degrees.
The substances stored in the Bio-Bank, such as body fluids or tissue samples, are kept in refrigerators and freezers. The devices are monitored against failure and are connected to the safety power supply. In order to ensure permanent cooling of the samples despite the safety systems, it is planned to flood the affected laboratories with nitrogen in a controlled manner in the event of a failure of all equipment.
The construction site is located in the institute's corridor with buildings for pathology, neuropathology, DZNE (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases) and others, which is suitable for joint hospital/LMU projects.
Munich's drainage regulations require that the rainwater that accumulates on the property be infiltrated on the property itself. In the feasibility study, consideration was given to whether infiltration trenches could be provided in the ground for seepage on the areas of the remaining parking lot that would then be vacated and converted into a green space. A trench is no longer visible above ground after installation. It is usually located at a depth of approx. 6 meters. There is no risk to cellars.
A surveyor and a landscape architect are currently mapping the trees on the entire site. This serves primarily as a planning basis for the design competition. The trees that have already been surveyed will be marked accordingly for easier handling. No tree felling is currently being prepared or carried out.