tg505-02f02 (r1) noise barrier feasibility study barrier feasibility study 2 july 2015 ......

Acoustics

Vibration

Structural Dynamics

Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Kuwait

Renzo Tonin & Associates (NSW) Pty Ltd ABN 29 117 462 861

Level 1/418A Elizabeth St SURRY HILLS NSW 2010 | PO Box 877 STRAWBERRY HILLS NSW 2012

P (02) 8218 0500 F (02) 8218 0501 [email protected] www.renzotonin.com.au

168-192 NARELLAN ROAD,

CAMPBELLTOWN

Noise Barrier Feasibility Study

2 July 2015

ASSOCIATION OF THE FRANCISCAN ORDER OF FRIARS MINOR

C/- Capital Syndications

TG505-02F02 (r1) Noise Barrier Feasibility Study

RENZO TONIN & ASSOCIATES 2 JULY 2015

CAPITAL SYNDICATIONS

TG505-02F02 (R1) NOISE BARRIER FEASIBILITY STUDY ii168-192 NARELLAN ROAD, CAMPBELLTOWN

NOISE BARRIER FEASIBILITY STUDY

Document details

Detail Reference

Doc reference: TG505-02F02 (r1) Noise Barrier Feasibility Study

Prepared for: Capital Syndications

Attention: Wayne Camenzuli

Document control

Date Revision historyNon-issued

revision

Issued

revisionPrepared Instructed Authorised

02.07.2015 First issue 0 1 RP MG MG

Important Disclaimer:

The work presented in this document was carried out in accordance with the Renzo Tonin & Associates Quality Assurance

System, which is based on Australian Standard / NZS ISO 9001.

This document is issued subject to review and authorisation by the Team Leader noted by the initials printed in the last

column above. If no initials appear, this document shall be considered as preliminary or draft only and no reliance shall be

placed upon it other than for information to be verified later.

This document is prepared for the particular requirements of our Client referred to above in the ‘Document details’ which

are based on a specific brief with limitations as agreed to with the Client. It is not intended for and should not be relied

upon by a third party and no responsibility is undertaken to any third party without prior consent provided by Renzo Tonin

& Associates. The information herein should not be reproduced, presented or reviewed except in full. Prior to passing on

to a third party, the Client is to fully inform the third party of the specific brief and limitations associated with the

commission.

In preparing this report, we have relied upon, and presumed accurate, any information (or confirmation of the absence

thereof) provided by the Client and/or from other sources. Except as otherwise stated in the report, we have not attempted

to verify the accuracy or completeness of any such information. If the information is subsequently determined to be false,

inaccurate or incomplete then it is possible that our observations and conclusions as expressed in this report may change.

We have derived data in this report from information sourced from the Client (if any) and/or available in the public domain

at the time or times outlined in this report. The passage of time, manifestation of latent conditions or impacts of future

events may require further examination and re-evaluation of the data, findings, observations and conclusions expressed in

this report.

We have prepared this report in accordance with the usual care and thoroughness of the consulting profession, for the sole

purpose described above and by reference to applicable standards, guidelines, procedures and practices at the date of

issue of this report. For the reasons outlined above, however, no other warranty or guarantee, whether expressed or

implied, is made as to the data, observations and findings expressed in this report, to the extent permitted by law.

The information contained herein is for the purpose of acoustics only. No claims are made and no liability is accepted in

respect of design and construction issues falling outside of the specialist field of acoustics engineering including and not

limited to structural integrity, fire rating, architectural buildability and fit-for-purpose, waterproofing and the like.

Supplementary professional advice should be sought in respect of these issues.



TG505-02F02 (R1) NOISE BARRIER FEASIBILITY STUDY iii168-192 NARELLAN ROAD, CAMPBELLTOWN


Contents

1 Introduction 1

2 Project description 2

2.1 Background 2

2.2 Project proposal 2

3 Noise guidelines 4

3.1 State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 (ISEPP) 4

3.2 Department of Planning Publication “Development near Rail Corridors and Busy Roads – Interim

Guideline” 4

4 Noise barrier feasibility 6

4.1 Traffic noise modelling 6

4.2 Noise barrier feasibility considerations 6

4.3 Noise wall design principles and materials 8

References 11

APPENDIX A Glossary of terminology 12

APPENDIX B Traffic noise contour maps 14

APPENDIX C Noise barrier feasibility map 17

List of tables

Table 1: ISEPP Road Traffic Noise Criteria for New Residential Development 5

Table 2: Noise barrier feasible/reasonable discussion 8

List of figures

Figure 1: Project proposal 3

Figure 2: Existing Blair Athol noise wall (residence side) 10



TG505-02F02 (R1) NOISE BARRIER FEASIBILITY STUDY 1168-192 NARELLAN ROAD, CAMPBELLTOWN


1 Introduction

The planning proposal for the development site at 168-192 Narellan Road, Campbelltown has currently

passed through the first phase of Council sign-off and has also had a positive Gateway Determination.

Renzo Tonin & Associates completed a preliminary noise assessment [ref: TG505-01F02 (rev 2) Noise

Assessment, 28 November 2013] in which a number of traffic noise mitigation measures for the site

were discussed, acoustic barriers being one potential option.

Council has now requested that the likely placement, length and material of any feasible acoustic

barriers be identified, to assist with understanding their visual impact. This report aims to provide this

information and also discusses why acoustic barriers are not feasible in some locations.

The findings of this noise barrier feasibility study are in principle only, and should be reviewed when the

final site layout, building height, orientation, and overall site grading profile is known.

The work documented in this report was carried out in accordance with the Renzo Tonin & Associates

Quality Assurance System, which is based on Australian Standard / NZS ISO 9001. Appendix A contains a

glossary of acoustic terms used in this report.





2 Project description

2.1 Background

The site at 168-192 Narellan Road, Campbelltown is currently owned and occupied by the Association of

the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor and the Poor Clare Colletine Nuns and is the subject of a Planning

Proposal submission to Campbelltown Council. The proposal is to rezone the land for a mixture of uses

including business, residential, and aged care.

The site is located north-east of the intersection of Hume Highway and Narellan Road. There are

residential subdivisions to the north-east, and John Kidd Reserve to the south-east of the development

site. UWS Campbelltown campus is located south across Narellan Road.

2.2 Project proposal

At this stage, the project proposal includes medium density residential, seniors living and commercial

zones as shown in Figure 1 below.

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3 Noise guidelines

3.1 State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 (ISEPP)

Clause 102 of the ISEPP states as follows;

If the development is for the purposes of a building for residential use, the consent authority must not

grant consent to the development unless it is satisfied that appropriate measures will be taken to

ensure that the following LAeq levels are not exceeded:

in any bedroom in the building--35dB(A) at any time between 10pm and 7am,

anywhere else in the building (other than a garage, kitchen, bathroom or hallway)--40

dB(A) at any time.

3.2 Department of Planning Publication “Development near Rail Corridors

and Busy Roads – Interim Guideline”

To support the Infrastructure SEPP, the NSW Department of Planning released the Development in Rail

Corridors and Busy Roads – Interim Guideline (December 2008). The Guideline assists in the planning,

design and assessment of developments in, or adjacent to, major transport corridors in terms of noise,

vibration and air quality. Whilst the ISEPP applies only to roads with an AADT greater than 40,000

vehicles, the guideline is also recommended for other road traffic noise affected sites. As Hume Highway

and Narellan Road both have AADT volumes greater than 40,000, the ISEPP criteria apply.

Clarification of ISEPP Noise Limits

The Guideline clarifies the time period of measurement and assessment. As stated in the Guideline in

Section 3.4 ‘What Noise and Vibration Concepts are Relevant’ and Table 3.1 of Section 3.6.1, noise

measurements are determined over the following relevant time periods:

Daytime 7am-10pm LAeq(15hr)

Night-time 10pm-7am LAeq(9hr)

LAeq is the Equivalent Continuous Noise Level and accounts for both the level of fluctuating noise and

also the number of noise events over the time period. The noise criteria nominated in the ISEPP are

internal noise levels with windows and doors closed and the requirements are stated in the following

table.

The Guideline in Section 3.6.1 ‘Airborne Noise’ also states as follows;

“If internal noise levels with windows or doors open exceed the criteria by more than 10dBA, the

design of the ventilation for these rooms should be such that occupants can leave windows closed, if

they so desire, and also to meet the ventilation requirements of the Building Code of Australia.”





As noise modelling is undertaken for external locations, the above criteria and guidelines have been

used to establish equivalent external noise criteria. This external noise criterion is used to determine

which building facades may require specific acoustic treatment to meet the requirements of the ISEPP.

External goals have been calculated on the basis of nominal 10dB(A) reduction through an open window

to a free-field position, with windows open to 5% of floor area in accordance with the BCA 2011

requirements.

Table 1: ISEPP Road Traffic Noise Criteria for New Residential Development

Room LocationLAeq,15hr Day

7am – 10pm

LAeq,9hr Night

10pm – 7am

Living Rooms* Internal, windows closed 40 40

Internal, windows open 50 50

External Free-Field (allowing windows to remain open)^ 60 60

Bedrooms* Internal, windows closed 40 35

Internal, windows open 50 45

External Free-Field (allowing windows to remain open)^ 60 55

Notes: * Requisite for 40,000AADT Roads only under ISEPP 2007.

^ ISEPP Guideline states that where internal noise criteria are exceeded by more than 10dB(A) with windows open mechanical

ventilation is required. External goals have been calculated on the basis of nominal 10dB(A) reduction through an open window to

a free-field position. Windows open to 5% of floor area in accordance with the BCA 2011 requirements.





4 Noise barrier feasibility

4.1 Traffic noise modelling

Traffic noise modelling was conducted over the subject site to determine areas of affectation and where

acoustic barriers might be beneficial. Renzo Tonin & Associates previously conducted a road traffic

noise assessment for the RMS Narellan Road Upgrade Project in April 2013, and subsequently also

considered an associated proposal to extend and modify the Hume Highway southbound off ramp to

Narellan Road. Traffic data from these RMS projects has been used as the basis of road traffic noise

modelling for this assessment.

Traffic noise contours over the development site are shown in Appendix B and are based on the existing

site topography with no noise mitigation measures. The contours represent the LAeq,15h Daytime and

LAeq,9h Night Time noise levels respectively. The ‘orange’ contour represents a traffic noise level of

60dB(A) during the daytime and 55dB(A) during the night time, which are the complying external noise

levels for residences.

The figures show that for both the day time and night time periods, traffic noise levels exceed the ISEPP

equivalent external noise criteria around the site, predominantly in the north-western corner over the

residential zones, and in the south over the seniors living zone. The feasibility of constructing acoustic

barriers around the perimeter of the development site as a mitigation measure is discussed below.

4.2 Noise barrier feasibility considerations

According to Roads and Maritime Services, whether the installation of a noise barrier is feasible and

reasonable is generally determined by the following factors3.

Feasibility relates to engineering considerations (what can be practically built). These engineering

considerations may include:

The inherent limitations of different techniques to reduce noise emissions from road traffic

noise sources

Safety issues such as restrictions on road vision

Road corridor site constraints such as space limitations

Floodway and stormwater flow obstruction

Access requirements

Maintenance requirements

The suitability of building conditions for at-property treatments

Selecting reasonable measures from those that are feasible involves judging whether the overall noise

benefits provide significant social, economic or environmental benefits. The factors to be considered are:





The noise reduction provided and the overall number of people that benefit from the

mitigation

Existing and future noise levels, including changes in noise levels in the build and design year

and the extent of any exceedance of the noise criteria

Potential for a mitigation measure to reduce noise during construction as well as from road

traffic after the project is complete

The cost of mitigation, including the cost of noise mitigation measures as a percentage of the

total project cost and the ongoing maintenance and operational costs

Community views and wishes (typically gathered at a number of stages including route

selection, following concept design, community consultation process following the noise

assessment and post opening in the operational noise report)

Visual impacts for the community surrounding the road project and for road users. These are

typically identified in the environmental impact assessment

The wider community benefits arising from noise mitigation of the proposed road or road

redevelopment

Relative weighting of treatments with respect to protection of outdoor areas or only internal

living spaces.

The following tables details the outcomes of the feasible/reasonable investigation for noise barriers

around the perimeter of the development site to mitigate road traffic noise levels. Refer to Appendix C

for site map and barrier locations.





Table 2: Noise barrier feasible/reasonable discussion

Barrier ID Location Discussion

B-1 Northern western boundary,

between Hume Hwy &

residential zone

The existing ground topography in the north western portion of the site is

such that the proposed medium density residential development area is higher

than the ground at the western boundary, and also typically elevated above

the Hume Hwy with line of site to the road traffic lanes in a northerly direction.

For these reasons, noise barriers would need to be higher than the existing

noise wall at the rear of Stephen Road properties in Blair Athol to provide

similar noise reduction.

Any noise barrier (or earth mound/wall combination) would need to be in the

order of 6m high to provide approximately 5dB insertion loss in the most

affected areas at the northern end of the development site. The barrier would

be less effective as it continues to the south west due to the development area

rising up onto a hill that overlooks Hume Hwy. In addition, site grading to

lower the ground level by approximately 1-2m would also need to occur in

localised areas as shown in Appendix C.

This barrier could generally achieve the ISEPP noise goals internally at ground

floor level, thereby reducing the need to apply noise treatment to the building

facade. Facades above ground floor level would still likely require building

treatment.

The existing power transmission lines that run through the development site

will remain. Further investigation should be carried out as to the feasibility of

constructing noise barriers in this power easement and if any height limits

apply.

B-2 South western corner,

between Hume Hwy &

Seniors living zone

It may be feasible to construct a barrier in this location, but it is not

reasonable. The ground level at the site boundary site boundary is lower than

the Hume Hwy & Narellan Road interchange, and lower than the development

area. Construction a noise barrier at this low point would provide no

significant benefit.

The Hume Hwy off ramp to Narellan Road has recently been realigned and

upgraded by RMS. A noise barrier along the edge of this ramp would have

provided some benefit, however noise barriers were not part of the ramp

upgrade works.

B-3 Southern boundary, Narellan

Road boundary

The ground level at the site boundary is typically lower than Narellan Road,

and the nearest development area (Seniors living) is elevated. Construction of

a noise barrier at this low point would provide no significant benefit. In the

south eastern portion of the site, the ground levels are similar to the road

level, however there is no development proposed in this area therefore a noise

barrier is not warranted.

4.3 Noise wall design principles and materials

The main considerations when designing any road noise barrier are:

The closer the noise barrier is to the noise source, the more effective the barrier.

The taller the barrier, the greater the noise reduction.

Barriers are more effective when the site slopes away from the source and the receiver is at a

lower RL than the road.

The longer the barrier, the more effective – barriers should ideally extend beyond the edges

of the development.

Any holes or discontinuities in a barrier wall will significantly reduce its noise reduction ability.





Noise barriers can be in the form of earth mounds, built walls, or a combination of mounds and walls.

Any noise barrier constructed at location B-1 should be designed by a qualified urban designer and

should comply with Council requirements. The RTA Noise wall design guideline may also be a useful

reference document.

Where roads have a high proportion of heavy vehicles such as main highways, masonry walls are often

used, one reason being that their high density provides better protection from low frequency truck

exhaust noise. However lightweight materials such as timber or sheet steel can be used, provided

certain design guidelines are adhered to.

Section 3.8.5 of the “Development in Rail Corridors and Busy Roads – Interim Guideline” suggests that to

be effective noise barriers, lightweight fences should:

Be solidly built

Planks or sheeting must be tight fitting and without gaps

To avoid gaps emerging as materials age or warp, the posts should be placed close together

(less than every 2.5m) for rigidity and three horizontal support rails should be used.

Overlay planks by 35mm

Use galvanised bolts or nails

Use seasoned and treated timber to minimise shrinkage and increase the life of the timber

Bury the bottom of the fence in the ground so there is no clearance gap beneath the fence

Any material used in the barrier should have a surface density of at least 20kg/m2.

The following diagrams have been extracted directly from the guideline.





The existing noise barrier along the along the Hume Hwy boundary at Blair Athol is constructed of

painted Hebel panels with a clear top section (see images below). Any new barrier at location B-1 would

need to tie in to this existing barrier, with no gaps between the existing and new barrier. Figure 2 shows

images of the existing Blair Athol noise barrier.

Figure 2: Existing Blair Athol noise wall (residence side)





References

1. Renzo Tonin & Associates, Preliminary Noise Assessment for Rezoning Application, November

2013.

2. State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007.

3. NSW Department of Planning, Development in Rail Corridors and Busy Roads – Interim

Guideline, December 2008.

4. Roads and Maritime Services, Noise Mitigation Guideline, April 2015.

5. Roads and Traffic Authority, Noise wall design guideline, February 2007.





APPENDIX A Glossary of terminology

The following is a brief description of the technical terms used to describe noise to assist in

understanding the technical issues presented.

Adverse weather Weather effects that enhance noise (that is, wind and temperature inversions) that occur at a site

for a significant period of time (that is, wind occurring more than 30% of the time in any

assessment period in any season and/or temperature inversions occurring more than 30% of the

nights in winter).

Ambient noise The all-encompassing noise associated within a given environment at a given time, usually

composed of sound from all sources near and far.

Assessment period The period in a day over which assessments are made.

Assessment point A point at which noise measurements are taken or estimated. A point at which noise

measurements are taken or estimated.

Background noise Background noise is the term used to describe the underlying level of noise present in the ambient

noise, measured in the absence of the noise under investigation, when extraneous noise is

removed. It is described as the average of the minimum noise levels measured on a sound level

meter and is measured statistically as the A-weighted noise level exceeded for ninety percent of a

sample period. This is represented as the L90 noise level (see below).

Decibel [dB] The units that sound is measured in. The following are examples of the decibel readings of every

day sounds:

0dB The faintest sound we can hear

30dB A quiet library or in a quiet location in the country

45dB Typical office space. Ambience in the city at night

60dB CBD mall at lunch time

70dB The sound of a car passing on the street

80dB Loud music played at home

90dB The sound of a truck passing on the street

100dBThe sound of a rock band

115dBLimit of sound permitted in industry

120dBDeafening

dB(A) A-weighted decibels. The A- weighting noise filter simulates the response of the human ear at

relatively low levels, where the ear is not as effective in hearing low frequency sounds as it is in

hearing high frequency sounds. That is, low frequency sounds of the same dB level are not heard

as loud as high frequency sounds. The sound level meter replicates the human response of the ear

by using an electronic filter which is called the “A” filter. A sound level measured with this filter

switched on is denoted as dB(A). Practically all noise is measured using the A filter.

dB(C) C-weighted decibels. The C-weighting noise filter simulates the response of the human ear at

relatively high levels, where the human ear is nearly equally effective at hearing from mid-low

frequency (63Hz) to mid-high frequency (4kHz), but is less effective outside these frequencies.

Frequency Frequency is synonymous to pitch. Sounds have a pitch which is peculiar to the nature of the

sound generator. For example, the sound of a tiny bell has a high pitch and the sound of a bass

drum has a low pitch. Frequency or pitch can be measured on a scale in units of Hertz or Hz.

Impulsive noise Having a high peak of short duration or a sequence of such peaks. A sequence of impulses in

rapid succession is termed repetitive impulsive noise.

Intermittent noise The level suddenly drops to that of the background noise several times during the period of

observation. The time during which the noise remains at levels different from that of the ambient

is one second or more.

LMax The maximum sound pressure level measured over a given period.

LMin The minimum sound pressure level measured over a given period.





L1 The sound pressure level that is exceeded for 1% of the time for which the given sound is

measured.

L10 The sound pressure level that is exceeded for 10% of the time for which the given sound is

measured.

L90 The level of noise exceeded for 90% of the time. The bottom 10% of the sample is the L90 noise

level expressed in units of dB(A).

Leq The “equivalent noise level” is the summation of noise events and integrated over a selected period

of time.

Reflection Sound wave changed in direction of propagation due to a solid object obscuring its path.

SEL Sound Exposure Level (SEL) is the constant sound level which, if maintained for a period of 1

second would have the same acoustic energy as the measured noise event. SEL noise

measurements are useful as they can be converted to obtain Leq sound levels over any period of

time and can be used for predicting noise at various locations.

Sound A fluctuation of air pressure which is propagated as a wave through air.

Sound absorption The ability of a material to absorb sound energy through its conversion into thermal energy.

Sound level meter An instrument consisting of a microphone, amplifier and indicating device, having a declared

performance and designed to measure sound pressure levels.

Sound pressure level The level of noise, usually expressed in decibels, as measured by a standard sound level meter with

a microphone.

Sound power level Ten times the logarithm to the base 10 of the ratio of the sound power of the source to the

reference sound power.

Tonal noise Containing a prominent frequency and characterised by a definite pitch.





APPENDIX B Traffic noise contour maps

Legend:

= 55

= 60

= 65

Legend:

= 55

= 60

= 65

Legend:

= 55

= 60

= 65

Legend:

= 55

= 60

= 65

Noise Level - dB(A)

= 55

= 60

= 65

Consultant:

1/418A Elizabeth Street, SURRY HILLS NSW 2010

P: 02 8218 0500 F: 02 8218 0501

Client:

ASSOCIATION OF THE FRANCISCANORDER OF FRIARS MINOR

Project:

168-192 NARELLAN ROADNOISE WALL REVIEW

Noise levels are approximate due to interpolation of contours and should beused for reference only.For information only and not for construction.This information is protected by copyright.

Description:

ROAD TRAFFIC NOISELAEQ,15H DAY TIME1.5M NOISE CONTOURSNO NOISE BARRIERS

Project No.: TG505-02 Created by: RP

Fig Ref: TG505-02.5.1.P03 (r1) Grid: 02C1_DAY_Leq

Date: 2015.07.02 Scale: 1: 4000 A3

Legend:

= 50

= 55

= 60

Legend:

= 50

= 55

= 60

Legend:

= 50

= 55

= 60

Legend:

= 50

= 55

= 60

Noise Level - dB(A)

= 50

= 55

= 60

Consultant:


P: 02 8218 0500 F: 02 8218 0501

Client:


Project:



Description:

ROAD TRAFFIC NOISELAEQ,9H NIGHT TIME1.5M NOISE CONTOURSNO NOISE BARRIERS


Fig Ref: TG505-02.5.1.P04 (r1) Grid: 03C1

Date: 2015.07.02 Scale: 1: 4000 A3





APPENDIX C Noise barrier feasibility map

Legend:

= 50

= 55

= 60

Legend:

= 50

= 55

= 60

Legend:

= 50

= 55

= 60

Legend:

= 50

= 55

= 60

Consultant:


P: 02 8218 0500 F: 02 8218 0501

Client:


Project:



Description:

NOISE BARRIER FEASIBILITY


Fig Ref: TG505-02.5.1.P05 (r1) Grid: -

Date: 2015.07.02 Scale: 1: 4000 A3

RPhillips

Callout

Power transmission corridor

RPhillips

Callout

Site grading 2m lower than existing topography

RPhillips

Callout

Site grading 1m lower than existing topography

RPhillips

Callout

Existing fence

RPhillips

Callout

Existing noise wall

RPhillips

Callout

Noise Barrier B-1 Proposed

RPhillips

Callout

Noise Barrier B-2 Not feasible

RPhillips

Callout

Noise Barrier B-3 Not feasible

RPhillips

Polygon

tg505-02f02 (r1) noise barrier feasibility study barrier feasibility study 2 july 2015 ......

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