Construction Noise –

Control and Mitigation

ME5106 Engineering Acoustics
Department of Mechanical Engineering
National University of Singapore

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Impact of Construction Noise in Singapore
• Impact increasingly felt due to
• more construction developments located near residences and other
noise sensitive premises (schools, hospitals).
• rising public expectations for a quieter living environment

Bugis 1980 Havelock 2016

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 Example of construction noise problem

The construction site is next to a School and religious buildings. The school is surrounded by the Woodlands south
station construction and the hospital construction for a period of time.
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Example of construction noise problem

The MRT construction site is located among many tall buildings. No noise barriers will be tall enough
to mitigate the noise.

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 Construction sites may be just at our door step

Due to on-block sale and city re0devlopement, new MRT lines and new HDB estates.
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Complaints from Construction noise

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Construction Noise Regulations

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No Work Rule

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Permissible Noise Limit (Mon to Sat)

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Permissible Noise Limit (Sun and Public Holiday)

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Noise Management Plan
• Since 2012, NEA has been requiring builders of construction /
demolition projects located within 150m of residential and sensitive
premises, and above $50mil in project value, to submit their NMPs
and attend meetings with NEA noise control officers.
• NEA officers will go through their NMP to improve their noise
monitoring programme, check for proper locations of noise
monitoring system, siting of noisy equipment, public engagement
programme and provide advice on noise mitigation measures.
• Advise contractors to take extra steps to reduce noise, address
resident’s issue with noise etc.

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Noise Management Plan

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Noise Management Plan

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More noise compliant during covid-19 pandemic

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Noise Control Measures
• Noise Barriers and Shields

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Noise Control Measures
• Use of quieter equipment

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Noise Control Measures
• Control of Noise at Source

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Noise Control Measures
• Use of Enclosures

Need to consider ventilation

for thermal management as
the machines may overheat.

Also the structural rigidity

under strong wind and rain.

Compromise between noise

and natural ventilation.

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Noise Control Measures
• Behavoral Improvement
• Remind machine operators not to exert more power than necessary
during operations.
• Educate workers to lay rebar down properly instead of letting them go
from a standing position.

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Noise Monitoring
• On rooftop of nearest sensitive building.
• Above site hoarding if no buildings nearby.
• Required under the regulation.
• Can be remotely controlled and assessed.

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Real time Noise Monitoring Systems

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Typical Noise Sources from Construction Sites

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Typical set of Measurements using acoustic
camera

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Comparison of peak dB(A) and dB(C) for the six
representative construction equipment and
processes.

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The working principle of noise barriers
• Outdoor noise barriers can effectively reduce the transmission of
noise from source to receiver.
• When placed between source and receiver, the barrier diffracts the
sound transmitted to the receiver.
• This reduction is frequency dependent: Noise barriers block high
frequencies (behaves more like light) more effectively than low
frequencies.

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Effect of barrier height
• Noise barrier’s effectiveness is determined by the degree to which it
forces sound to bend to reach the receiver
• As long as the barrier interrupts the straight line path from source to
receiver, noise will attenuate as it diffracts around the barrier (shown
as dotted lines).
• There are a number of ways to increase the effectiveness of a barrier.
The first is to construct the barrier close to the source. This is one of
the best methods as it benefits all locations past the barrier.

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Effect of barrier height
• If the barrier can’t be located near the source, the next best location
is near the receiver. This is equally effective for that receiver, but the
benefit diminishes for receivers at a greater distance.
• When a noise barrier is close to the receiver, the critical angle also
increases.

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Effect of barrier height
• Generally, the least effective location for a barrier is midway between
source and receiver. Yet regardless of location, a barrier’s acoustical benefit
improves when the barrier height is increased.
• Limitation of height due to structural stability, also need to consider the
effect of wind and rain.
• The mass of the barrier is usually not a critical element. The barrier should
be constructed so sound that penetrates through the barrier is sufficiently
lower than the sound that diffracts over the top. For example, the sound
transmission loss of the barrier should be at least 10 decibels lower than
the attenuation planned for above the barrier. A solid barrier that supports
itself and withstands wind loading will often provide more than adequate
sound transmission loss.

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 Estimation of Noise Barrier Attenuation
• The actual calculation of barrier attenuation is based on formulas
developed by Fresnel, using the following geometrical format:
• When the barrier blocks line-of-sight between the source and
receiver, the Fresnel Number (N) is found using this formula:

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Estimation of Noise Barrier Attenuation
• Using the Fresnel
Number and the
following chart, one can
determine the excess
attenuation (Ae4 in the
chart below) of the
barrier.

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Other Considerations
• Varying air speeds (increasing with height above ground) caused by light winds
travelling from source to receiver can refract the sound passing through the air
and bend it downward. This action tends to reduce the effectiveness of a barrier.
Trees with foliage above the top the barrier can have a similar detrimental effect.
• Noise barriers can also cancel the beneficial attenuation that results from ground
effect, a phase cancellation effect that can occur when both source and receiver
are very near the ground. This loss of ground effect attenuation must be
subtracted from the barrier attenuation to determine the net attenuation of the
barrier.
• The barrier should block all paths from source to receiver. This means that if a
barrier is 3 metres high, it should extend 6 metres horizontally past the point
where the barrier blocks line-of-sight from source to receiver. This prevents
sound from flanking the barrier’s edge.
• In addition, there can be no gaps or low points in the barrier. An opening, for a
roadway for example, would significantly diminish the acoustical performance of
the barrier unless it was carefully designed.
• Due to poor construction, some barriers may have gaps or holes.

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Other Designs for increasing the “Effective” height
• Typical noise barriers have straight edges

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Model Setup

The top profile obstructs direct transmission of sound equivalent to the

effective height of a plain vertical barrier.

Two receiver
matrix
locations at
P1 and P2

Sound Pressure Level in dB in the bright and shadow zone in the

presence of conventional barrier at 2000Hz.
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T –profile and its variants
0.5m

1m

Model I shows a slight gain over other models;

T-profile with four poles does notME5106
perform as well as the others. 35
Reported Designs

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NUS Design

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Summary of Findings
• The noise barrier cannot be as high as one would like due to the
requirement of structural stability (against wind load). The current
accepted design is 12 m.
• The edge can be varied to increase the “effective” height.
• However, there is a further consideration for the possibility of water
accumulation which may become a mosquito breeding spot.
• There is also the possibility of applying active noise control at the top
edge (especially Y shape) of the noise barrier.
• The barrier itself will need to have sufficient sound absorption
properties

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Limitations of Noise Barriers
• The noise barrier would be ineffective for high floors or noise source
from a greater height, for example, pilling machines.

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 Noise Barriers for Subways
• Noise from trains operating on elevated MRT tracks is a problem for tracks close to
residential buildings.
• The Land Transport Authority has started a program to progressively install noise barriers
at locations with high noise levels. The current criterion is to install along elevated railway
tracks where noise levels exceed 67 decibels averaged over an hour.
• As the erection of noise barriers is not one of the design criterion during the design of
elevated tracks, the installation of noise barriers is constrained by the thickness, which will
restrict the workspace for maintenance workers; weight which will impose additional load
on the supporting structures, and height, which will increase the aerodynamics drags as
well as the aesthetics and safety concerns for the commuters.

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Common noise barrier designs for subways

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Singapore installations

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Soft noise barriers
• These designs are not ideal for mitigation of low frequency noise.
• Effectiveness also dependent on construction.

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Conclusion
• There are many different noise barrier designs.
• They are typically used for the mitigation of construction noise.
• Need to look at the structural stability for tall barriers and also the
stability under adverse weather conditions.
• For barriers with different top edge designs, need to also examine the
other issues such as water accumulation which may become a
mosquito breeding site.

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