To manage noise and vibration impacts on large construction projects, a construction noise and vibration assessment and management tool is required. Renzo Tonin & Associates (RTA) have developed Gatewave, an online software tool to assist contractors in the field with predicting, reporting and managing noise and vibration emissions from their sites.
Gatewave is a project specific construction noise and vibration online modelling tool developed for a project’s construction team to use. It is designed to model and assess tunnelling, excavation, surface, building and utility works. It is an integrated and wholistic solution for construction personnel to undertake their own predictions, assessments and management of noise and vibration impacts from their construction projects.
Gatewave has been developed with different modules to enable the assessment of:
| airborne noise | ground-borne noise | ground-borne vibration |
Gatewave is user friendly and has been developed in direct consultation with some of the largest and most reputable construction companies in Australasia. To develop Gatewave, numerous noise and vibration measurements of major construction projects across Australia have been used. These measurements have allowed the augmentation of Gatewave with real-world noise and vibration data to provide accurate results.
Gatewave has been adopted on Australia’s largest rail infrastructure projects including Sydney Metro, Suburban Rail Loop, Botany Rail Duplication, Parramatta Light Rail and Canberra Light Rail; and multiple road projects including Westconnex, North East Link and Motorway upgrades. Additionally, Gatewave has been implemented on airports, renewable energy projects, wind farms and water reclamation facilities. Reports created using Gatewave have supported the extension of work hours throughout critically sensitive periods such as evenings, nights and weekends.
There are two Gatewave products:
- Gatewave Classic: a detailed 3D model for more accurate noise and vibration predictions (suitable for urban and suburban projects).
- Gatewave Lite: a simplified version of industry-approved noise prediction algorithms in 2D which provides a conservative but reasonable result, while avoiding the overhead that comes with detailed computer modelling (suitable for regional projects).
1. Gatewave Classic (3D)
Gatewave Classic is a project specific 3D construction noise and vibration modelling tool available online for the Project construction team to use. Gatewave automatically generates project specific reports suitable for submission to regulatory authorities to assist with gaining approval for any extended work periods outside standard construction hours.
1.1 Built on detailed computer noise modelling
For the assessment of airborne noise, Gatewave is powered by CadnaA, which is the world’s leading 3D acoustic software for the prediction of environmental noise developed in Germany by Datakustik. Gatewave incorporates ground elevation contours, building heights, the built environment and atmospheric conditions to predict construction noise in accordance with the International Standard ISO 9613-2:1996 implementing quality standard ISO 17534-1:2015. All sensitive receivers are identified by a land use survey that is contained within Gatewave.
1.2 Add and refine plant and equipment data
Gatewave includes a selection of plant and equipment sound power levels sourced from an extensive measurement database, representing most of the common plant and equipment found on construction sites. Additional items can be added once a verification noise measurement is conducted or manufacturer’s specifications are obtained. Existing plant and equipment entries in Gatewave can be amended, or (if the item is not yet in Gatewave) a new entry to the Gatewave database can be added. Similarly for vibration, minimum working distances can be amended to account for site-specific phenomena once verification measurements have taken place.
1.3 Streamlined calculation setup
Gatewave allows a user to define specific work areas, specify the equipment for each activity and calculate the noise and vibration impacts. It can also calculate the minimum working distances from sensitive receivers to be maintained on site by various plant and activities to avoid exceedance of human comfort and structural damage vibration limits.
Gatewave allows the calculation of construction noise and vibration impact in four simple steps:
Step 1–- Define the work area
The user can then define the work areas of interest. A polygon is drawn around the construction work areas. Multiple work areas can be defined, representing either the same construction crew moving from one area to another, or different crews operating at the same time.
Each work area represents a construction crew operating within a worksite with a given set of plant/ equipment (from Step 1). Once the work activity is selected, the user identifies whether the construction crew is working in isolation, or if there are concurrent works in the area. An example of the interface is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Work area drawn by the user
Step 2–- Define the work activities
Once the work area is defined, the user confirms the model input assumptions. A standard list of plant and equipment is provided, with scope to add new plant should this be required. The user identifies the construction phase or activity to be included in the assessment (e.g. bulk earthworks, piling, rock breaking etc.), then nominates the number of plant and equipment likely to be used during the different noise or vibration assessment periods (specific to the jurisdiction) for that construction phase/ activity (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Noise model inputs
Step 3–- Noise and vibration prediction and assessment
Gatewave predicts construction noise and vibration levels to all receivers based on the construction activities and locations previously defined. The results are assessed against noise limits and where necessary, additional noise mitigation measures are identified for each of the assessment periods and areas where construction work is occurring.
Additionally, for vibration the most vibration significant plant item is identified from the plant selected in Step 2. Recommendations based on the nominated objectives per building are identified for each of the assessment periods and areas where construction work is occurring.
Figure 3 shows an example noise assessment output from Gatewave, and Figure 4 shows an example vibration assessment output.
Figure 3: Example calculation–- noise results
Figure 4: Example calculation–- vibration results
Optional: Gatewave can optionally show noise results at each floor and facade of a building, giving users insight into which parts of a building may receive the most impact. This feature can be activated for select buildings within the project, such as multi-storey residences adjacent to the works. Depending on information available from the Project team, each receiver point on the façade of a building can be aligned with, for example, apartment bedroom windows or other areas of interest.
An example of the facade result calculation feature is shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5: Example calculation – facade results
Step 4 – Report generation[MT1] [AM2]
The results from Steps 1 to 3 are consolidated into an addendum report to the main construction noise and vibration assessment report prepared for the area where works are being undertaken. The report prepared can be formatted to suit the project requirements. A brief overview of the project and calculation method is followed by results summaries, as well as maps showing the receivers impacted by the works.
Calculation results are available in common formats, such as Excel spreadsheets and Word documents. A presentation with practical project-specific examples would be provided as a training session on the Gatewave construction noise and vibration assessment, management and reporting tool.
Figure 6: Sample report outputs
2. Gatewave Lite (2D)
Gatewave Lite is a simple and intuitive noise and vibration web application. Developed in direct consultation with Australasia’s largest and most reputable construction companies, Gatewave streamlines the preparation of acoustic assessments to avoid project delays and manage potential impacts.
Gatewave Lite is specifically designed for projects where noise and vibration are of concern, but detailed computer noise modelling by acoustic consultants isn’t feasible. Regional projects, as well as projects covering vast areas, can benefit from the flexibility offered by Gatewave Lite without incurring excessive noise modelling expenses.
Figure 7: Gatewave Lite platform
To produce the noise predictions, Gatewave Lite uses a simplified version of industry-approved noise prediction algorithms. This approach provides a conservative but reasonable result, while avoiding the overhead that comes with detailed computer modelling.
Knowledge of the noise source is key to producing acceptable results, which is why Gatewave is continually augmented with noise and vibration measurement data. Project specific measurement data can also be added to Gatewave throughout the life of the project.
Figure 8: Gatewave Lite noise and vibration inputs
Gatewave Lite also prepares vibration predictions for assessment against cosmetic damage and human response limits. Similar to noise data, Gatewave draws upon vibration measurements conducted on Australia’s largest construction projects.
Figure 9: Gatewave Lite noise and vibration results
Reporting is similar to Gatewave Classic and can be formatted to suit the project requirements. The report addendum is generated after calculations are completed. A brief overview of the project and calculation method is followed by results summaries, as well as maps showing the receivers impacted by the works. Calculation results are also available in common formats, such as Excel spreadsheets and Word documents.
Gatewave Lite has been recently deployed for a project involving the construction of hundreds of kilometres of new transmission lines between South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.
3. Closure
Gatewave is an online software tool that has been developed by Renzo Tonin & Associates to provide project specific construction noise and vibration predictions (airborne noise, ground-borne noise and ground-borne vibration) to assist with managing noise and vibration impacts. It is an integrated and wholistic solution for construction personnel to undertake their own predictions, assessments and management of noise and vibration impacts from their construction projects.
Gatewave is user friendly and has been developed in direct consultation with some of the largest and most reputable construction companies in Australasia. Despite it using well-known international propagation algorithms to predict emissions, numerous noise and vibration measurements from major construction projects across Australia have been used to verify this software, allowing it to provide accurate results with real-world noise and vibration data.
[MT1]One of the features we need to add is the option to include additional plant/equipment or modify LW following measurements. This is one of the feature Chris wants to highlight
[AM2]Added in section before Steps1-4