Goal

Reduce annoyance or disturbance to surrounding neighborhoods and environments from road construction noise.

Sustainability Linkage

Reducing noise from construction supports environmental and social principles by reducing impacts to quality of life, community facilities, and sensitive habitat.

Background & Scoring Requirements

Scoring Requirements

Require the Contractor to plan and monitor noise control measures throughout construction with care above and beyond what is typically required by regulations (i.e., NEPA). 

Requirement PD-27.1

1 Point. Construction Noise Mitigation Plan

The Owner shall require the Contractor to establish, implement, and maintain a formal Noise Mitigation Plan (NMP) during roadway construction. The Contract Documents should include a requirement for a NMP that contains, at minimum, the following information for all elements of construction:

1. Responsible party for noise mitigation activities, contact information, their responsibilities, and qualifications. Include information for the NMP preparer, if applicable, or if completed by an outside party.
2. Project location and distance to closest receptor of noise. Include a description of the surrounding zoning and parcel information (i.e., commercial, residential, hospitals, schools, parks, sensitive habitat).
3. A list of proposed construction activities (e.g., demolition, excavation, paving, bridge foundations, finishing).
4. Dates and working hours of proposed construction activities.
5. A list of noise-generating devices used during each construction activity listed in #3.
6. A list of noise-mitigating devices used during each construction activity listed in #3, including personal safety equipment requirements for all site employees.
7. Noise permit numbers, agency, or local authority policies associated with construction work, as applicable.
8. Description of noise monitoring standards, methods, and acceptable levels.
9. Description of correction procedures for non-compliant noise levels.
10. Description of complaint or feedback mechanism for public use.
11. Signature of responsible party.

Some state and local owner agencies already have requirements for such plans written into their standard specifications. However, a written specification requiring the prime contractor to have an NMP is insufficient, especially because many local authorities and owner agencies offer certain exemptions to their policies, such as daylight work schedules or projects with minimal areas of land-disturbing activities.

Requirement PD-27.2

1 Point. Monitor Noise Receptors

Require contractor to monitor noise and the effectiveness of mitigation measures at the receptors throughout construction to ensure compliance with the NMP.

Resources

None referenced.

Case Studies & Criterion Examples

Scoring Sources

The project is considered to have met this criterion if the requirements above can be reasonably substantiated through the existence of one or more of the following documentation sources (or equal where not available):

1. Contract documents requiring contractor to develop a Noise Mitigation Plan and/or monitor noise during construction.
2. Noise Mitigation Plan.
3. Applicable noise permits, or agency or local authority noise policies.