NOISE ANALYSIS AND MITIGATION

OHIO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

JENNIFER MILLER NOVEMBER 7, 2012

NOISE ANALYSIS

Standards for noise in the HUD project environment are at

24 CFR 51 Subpart B – Noise Abatement and Control

HUD noise goals:

＞ Exterior DNL noise level of 55 dB (but 65 dB is considered

acceptable)

＞ Interior DNL noise level of 45 dB

NOISE ANALYSIS

DNL:

＞ Day-night average sound level

＞ In mathematical equations, abbreviated LDN

＞ Represents the 24-hour average sound level

• Sound levels between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. are given

additional weight by adding 10 dB

NOISE ANALYSIS

HUD noise standard:

＞ DNL at or below 65 dB – Acceptable

＞ DNL above 65 dB but not exceeding 75 dB – Normally

Unacceptable

＞ DNL above 75 dB – Unacceptable

NOISE ANALYSIS

Calculating sound levels:

＞ Planes (airports)

＞ Trains (train tracks)

＞ Automobiles (roadways)

Additional noise to be considered case-by-case:

＞ Project site-specific noise sources (e.g., lumber mill next door)

＞ Loud impulsive sounds

NOISE ANALYSIS

Planes: major airports within 15 miles

＞ Sound level calculation based on jet traffic only

Trains: tracks within 3,000 feet

＞ General prohibition on construction within 100 feet of a track due

to vibration noise that cannot easily be controlled

Traffic: major roads within 1,000 feet

＞ 4-lane or larger, 10,000 ADT or greater

NOISE ANALYSIS

Airports

＞ Acquire the DNL noise contour map for the airport, if one has

been prepared

＞ Most community and general aviation airports have insignificant

jet traffic and will not have a DNL map; not necessary to contact

them unless project site is located close and within the flight path

• Contact the airport manager for help if necessary

Airport DNL noise contour map (Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Int’l)

NOISE ANALYSIS

Train traffic

＞ PUCO rail crossings map to identify nearby crossings

＞ PUCO and FRA crossing databases to identify traffic information

• Links for these and other websites are in information packet

＞ For commuter trains, can also use train schedules

＞ On-site observations best for determining whether whistles are

sounded adjacent to project site

PUCO and FRA crossing traffic information

NOISE ANALYSIS

Roadways

＞ Highway and numbered route traffic information available from

ODOT Technical Services

＞ Contact area Metropolitan Planning Organization or local/county

engineer for local roadway traffic counts

ODOT traffic data report

NOISE ANALYSIS

Additional data required:＞ Distance to road or rail line (from map)

＞ Average speed of cars or trains (from speed limit and from FRA report)

＞ Nighttime (10 p.m. through 7 a.m.) fraction of traffic (default is 15%)

＞ For roadway, the uphill gradient (default is 2%)

＞ For trains, whether whistles are blown at the site and whether the tracks are

welded or bolted. Number of cars and engines per train can also be entered,

though information can be difficult to obtain (defaults are 50 and 2,

respectively).

NOISE ANALYSIS

Three ways to calculate site’s overall DNL:

＞ Noise Guidebook worksheets and charts

＞ HUD spreadsheet (available on request)

＞ HUD online Site DNL Calculator

• Demonstration

NOISE ANALYSIS

Bank St – 806 ft

Winchell St – 531 ft

I-75 – 669 ft

Norfolk Southern

yard – 2,259 ft

CSX yard – 3,700 ft