Construction Noise Handbook

1 Construction Equipment Noise Levels and Ranges - Handbook - Construction Noise - Noise - Environment - [1/14/2018 8:18:41 AM]AboutProgramsResourcesBriefing RoomContactSearch FHWAC ontactsFor moreinformation, pleasecontact:FHWAH eadquartersCecilia HoPhone: 202-366-9862 FHWA ResourceCenterMichael RobertsPhone: 404-562-3928 Paul HeishmanPhone: 410-962-2362 StephanieStoermerPhone: 303-594-8556 Construction NoiseHandbookRCNM Version ReportMeasurementNoise BarriersNoise CompatiblePlanningNoise Effect onWildlifeRegulation andGuidanceResourcesTire Pavement NoiseTraffic Noise ModelTrainingFHWA Environment Noise Construction Noise HandbookConstruction Noise Construction Equipment Noise Levels and Equipment Type Inventory and Related Emission LevelsNoise levels generated by individual pieces of Construction equipment and specific constructionoperations form the basis for the prediction of Construction -related Noise levels. A variety ofinformation exists related to sound emissions related to such equipment and operations.

2 Thisdata transcends the period beginning in the 1970s thru 2006. This information exists for bothstationary and mobile sources and for steady, intermittent, and impulse type generators Stationary EquipmentStationary equipment consists of equipment that generates Noise from one general area andincludes items such as pumps, generators, compressors, etc. These types of equipmentoperate at a constant Noise level under normal operation and are classified as non-impactequipment. Other types of stationary equipment such as pile drivers, jackhammers, pavementbreakers, blasting operations, etc., produce variable and sporadic Noise levels and oftenproduce impact-type noises. Impact equipment is equipment that generates impulsive Noise ,where impulsive Noise is defined as Noise of short duration (generally less than one second),high intensity, abrupt onset, rapid decay, and often rapidly changing spectral composition. Forimpact equipment, the Noise is produced by the impact of a mass on a surface, typicallyrepeating over Mobile EquipmentMobile equipment such as dozers, scrapers, graders, etc.

3 , may operate in a cyclic fashion inwhich a period of full power is followed by a period of reduced power. Other equipment suchas compressors, although generally considered to be stationary when operating, can be readilyrelocated to another location for the next Sources of InformationConstruction-related equipment and operation Noise level data may be provided by numeroussources, including suppliers, manufacturers, agencies, organizations, etc. Some information isincluded in this document, and many web-based links are given for equipment Specifics of Construction Equipment and Operation NoiseInventoriesDetails included in each specific inventory of Construction equipment and operation noiseemission levels are often variable in terms of how data is represented. Some inventoriesinclude ranges of Noise levels while others present single numbers for each equipment provide levels for specific models of each type of Construction equipment.

4 Often,different Noise descriptors are used, such as LAeq, Lmax, L10, sound power level, etc. As such,the array of data does not readily lend itself to being combined into a single table or easilycompared. As such, this Handbook attempts to summarize a variety of such inventories andprovide links to each, thereby providing the reader with a variety of sources from which tochoose the appropriate levels for use in his or her respective of Planning, Environment, & Realty (HEP)Planning Environment Real EstateHEP Events Guidance Publications Glossary Awards ContactsTop << < Prev Contents 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Next > >> Construction Equipment Noise Levels and Ranges - Handbook - Construction Noise - Noise - Environment - [1/14/2018 8:18:41 AM] Summaries of Referenced InventoriesIncluded below are examples of several inventories of Construction -related Noise emissionvalues. These and additional inventories are included on the companion RCNM InventoryEquipment and operation Noise levels in this inventory are expressed in terms of Lmax noiselevels and are accompanied by a usage factor value.

5 They have been recently updated and arebased on extensive measurements taken in conjunction with the Central Artery/Tunnel (CA/T)Project. Table summarizes the equipment Noise emissions database used by the CA/TProject. While these values represent the "default" values for use in the RCNM, user-definedequipment and corresponding Noise levels can be RCNM Default Noise Emission Reference Levels and Usage (%) @ 50feet (dBA,slow)Actual MeasuredLmax @ 50 feet (dBA,slow) (SamplesAveraged)Number ofActual DataSamples(Count)All OtherEquipment > 5 HPNo5085N/A0 Auger Drill RigNo20858436 BackhoeNo408078372 Bar BenderNo2080N/A0 BlastingYesN/A94N/A0 Boring JackPower UnitNo5080831 Chain SawNo20858446 Clam Shovel(dropping)Yes2093874 Compactor(ground)No20808357 Compressor(air)No40807818 Concrete BatchPlantNo1583N/A0 Concrete MixerTruckNo40857940 Concrete PumpTruckNo20828130 Concrete SawNo20909055 CraneNo168581405 DozerNo40858255 Drill Rig TruckNo20847922 Drum MixerNo5080801 Dump TruckNo40847631 ExcavatorNo408581170 Flat Bed TruckNo4084744 Front Construction Equipment Noise Levels and Ranges - Handbook - Construction Noise - Noise - Environment - [1/14/2018 8:18.]

6 41 AM]Generator(<25 KVA, VMSS igns)No50707374 GradallNo40858370 GraderNo4085N/A0 Grapple (onbackhoe)No4085871 HorizontalBoringHydraulic JackNo2580826 Hydra BreakRamYes1090N/A0 Impact PileDriverYes209510111 JackhammerYes208589133 Man LiftNo20857523 MountedImpactHammer (hoeram)Yes209090212 PavementScarifierNo2085902 PaverNo5085779 Pickup TruckNo4055751 PneumaticToolsNo50858590 PumpsNo50778117 RefrigeratorUnitNo10082733 RivitBuster/ChippingGunYes20857919 Rock DrillNo2085813 RollerNo20858016 Sand Blasting(single nozzle)No2085969 ScraperNo40858412 Sheers (onbackhoe)No4085965 Slurry PlantNo10078781 SlurryTrenchingMachineNo50828075 Soil Mix DrillRigNo5080N/A0 TractorNo4084N/A0 VacuumExcavator (Vac-Truck)No408585149 Vacuum StreetSweeperNo10808219 Ventilation Construction Equipment Noise Levels and Ranges - Handbook - Construction Noise - Noise - Environment - [1/14/2018 8:18:41 AM]VibratoryConcrete MixerNo2080801 Vibratory PileDriverNo209510144 Warning HornNo5858312 Welder/TorchNo4073745 For each generic type of equipment listed in Table , the following information is provided:an indication as to whether or not the equipment is an impact device;the acoustical usage factor to assume for modeling purposes;the specification "Spec" limit for each piece of equipment expressed as an Lmax levelin dBA "slow" at a reference distance of 50 foot from the loudest side of theequipment;the measured "Actual" emission level at 50 feet for each piece of equipment based onhundreds of emission measurements performed on CA/T work sites.

7 Andthe number of samples that were averaged together to compute the "Actual" comparison of the "Spec" emission limits against the "Actual" emission levels reveals thatthe Spec limits were set, in general, to realistically obtainable Noise levels based on theequipment used by contractors on the CA/T Project. When measured in the field, someequipment such as pile drivers, sand blasting, demolition shears, and pumps tended to exceedtheir applicable emission limit. As such, these noisy devices needed to have some form ofnoise mitigation in place in order to comply with the Spec emission limits. Other equipment,such as clamshell shovels, concrete mixer trucks, truck-mounted drill rigs, man-lifts, chippingguns, ventilation fans, pavers, dump trucks, and flatbed trucks, easily complied. Therefore,the Spec emission limits for these devices could have been reduced somewhat further. It isrecommended that the user review the RCNM User's Guide contained in Appendix A fordetailed guidance regarding application of values contained in Table FHWA Special Report InventoriesAppendix A of the 1977 Handbook provides tables of Construction equipment Noise levels andranges.

8 The majority of the data were provided by the American Road Builders data were taken during a 1973 survey in which member contractors were asked tosecure readings of Noise exposure to operators of various types of equipment. Additionally,the contractors were asked to take readings at 50 feet from the machinery. These 50-footpeak readings are provided in Tables through Though the data were produced undervarying conditions and degrees of expertise, the values are relatively Construction Equipment Noise Levels Based on Limited Data Samples or ModelPeak Noise Level (dBA)RemarksNorthwestern80D77 Within 15m 1958 modNorthwestern884 Within 15m 1940 modNorthwestern672 Within 15m 1965 modAmerican726082 Within 15m 1967 modAmerican59976 Within 15m 1969 modAmerican529970 Within 15m 1972 modAmerican421082 Within 15m 1968 modBuck Eye45C79 Within 15m 1972 modBuck Eye30874 Within 15m 1968 modBuck Eye30B73 Within 15m 1965 modBuck Eye30B70 Within 15m 1959 modLink BeltLS9876 Within 15m 1956 Construction Equipment Noise Levels and Ranges - Handbook - Construction Noise - Noise - Environment - [1/14/2018 8:18.]

9 41 AM]Manitowoc400094 Within 15m 1956 modGroveRF5982 Within 15m 1973 modKoehr60576 Within 15m 1967 modKoehr43586 Within 15m 1969 modKoehr40584 Within 15m 1969 modTable Construction Equipment Noise Levels Based on Limited Data Samples or ModelPeak Noise Level (dBA)RemarksLink Belt400092 Within 15m 1971 modJohn Deere609A85 Within 15m 1971 modCase680C74 Within 15m 1973 modDrott40 15m 1971 modKoehr106681 & 84 Within 15m 2 testedTable Construction Equipment Noise Levels Based on Limited Data Samples -Front or ModelPeak Noise Level (dBA)RemarksCaterpillar98084 Within 15m 1972 modCaterpillar977K79 Within 15m 1969 modCaterpillar97787 Within 15m 1971 modCaterpillar97794 Within 15m 1967 modCaterpillar966C84 Within 15m 1973 modCaterpillar966C85 Within 15m 1972 modCaterpillar96681 Within 15m 1972 modCaterpillar96677 Within 15m 1972 modCaterpillar96685 Within 15m 1966 modCaterpillar955L90 Within 15m ;1973 modCaterpillar955K79 Within 15m 1969 modCaterpillar955H94 Within 15m 1963 modCaterpillar95078 & 80 Within 15m 1972 modCaterpillar95075 Within 15m 1968 modCaterpillar95088 Within 15m 1967 modCaterpillar95086 Within 15m 1965 modCaterpillar944A80 Within 15m 1965 modCaterpillar85082 Within 15m 1968 modMichigan75B90 Within 15m 1969 modMichigan475A96 Within 15m 1967 modMichigan27585 Within 15m 1971 modMichigan12587 Within 15m 1967 modHough6582 Within 15m 1971 modHough6091 Within 15m 1961 modHough400B94 Within 15m 1961 modHoughH9086 Within 15m 1961 Construction Equipment Noise Levels and Ranges - Handbook - Construction Noise - Noise - Environment - [1/14/2018 8:18.

10 41 AM]Trojan300085 Within 15m 1956 modTrojanRT82 Within 15m 1965 modPayloaderH5085 Within 15m 1963 modTable Construction Equipment Noise Levels Based on Limited Data Samples or ModelPeak Noise Level (dBA)RemarksCaterpillarD583 Within 15m 1967 modCaterpillarD685 Within 15m 1967 modCaterpillarD686 Within 15m 1964 modCaterpillarD681 Within 15m 1967 modCaterpillarD6B83 Within 15m 1967 modCaterpillarD6C82 Within 15m 1962 modCaterpillarD785 Within 15m 1956 modCaterpillarD786 Within 15m 1969 modCaterpillarD784 Within 15m 1969 modCaterpillarD778 Within 15m 1970 modCaterpillarD778 Within 15m 1972 modCaterpillarD7E86 Within 15m 1965 modCaterpillarD7E78 Within 15m 1970 modCaterpillarD7E84 Within 15m 1973 modCaterpillarD7F80 Within 15m 1972 modCaterpillarD892 Within 15m 1954 modCaterpillarD895 Within 15m 1968 modCaterpillarD886 Within 15m 1972 modCaterpillarD8H88 Within 15m 1966 modCaterpillarD8H82 Within 15m 1972 modCaterpillarD985 Within 15m 1972 modCaterpillarD994 Within 15m 1972 modCaterpillarD990 Within 15m 1963 modCaterpillarD987 Within 15m 1965 modCaterpillarD990 Within 15m 1965 modCaterpillarD988 Within 15m 1968 modCaterpillarD992