5 NOISE IMPACT

5.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the findings of the noise assessment for the proposed CKR during both the construction and operational phases. Construction airborne noise associated with the use of Powered Mechanical Equipment (PME) has been conducted. With the implementation of practical mitigation measures, construction noise impacts at most of the neighboring noise sensitive uses would be controlled to acceptable levels. However, for some receivers that are very close to some of the works sites, adverse residual impacts exceeding the construction noise criterion are anticipated even after implementing all practicable mitigation measures. Construction groundborne noise associated with the use of PME has also been conducted at representative noise sensitive receivers along the tunnel and the construction groundborne noise impacts would comply with the noise criteria.

Operational noise impacts associated with road traffic noise and fixed noise sources have also been investigated. With the implementation of mitigation measures, potential noise impacts would comply with the statutory criteria.

5.2 Legislation and Standards

5.2.1 Construction Phase

Construction Noise during Non-restricted Hours

The Noise Control Ordinance (NCO) (Cap. 400) provides the statutory framework for noise control in Hong Kong. Assessment procedures and standards are set out in the respective Technical Memoranda (TM) promulgated under the NCO. The following TMs are applicable to the assessment and control of construction noise.

· TM on Noise from Construction Work other than Percussive Piling (TM-GW);

· TM on Noise from Percussive Piling (TM-PP); and

· TM on Noise on Construction Work in Designated Areas (TM-DA).

To ensure a better environment, the TM-EIAO promulgated under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO) (Cap. 499) has imposed more stringent criteria. For construction, there is no statutory limit on daytime construction noise under the NCO and related TMs. Nevertheless, the TM-EIAO stipulates noise standards of 65 – 75 dB(A) for daytime construction activities, as shown in the table below.

Table 5.1: Noise Standards for Construction Activities

Uses	Noise Standards ^[1], Leq (30 mins) dB(A)
	0700 to 1900 hours on any day not being a Sunday or general holiday	1900 to 0700 hours or any time on Sundays or general holiday
All domestic premises including temporary housing accommodation	75	(See Note 2)
Hotels and hostels	75
Educational institutions including kindergartens, nurseries and all others where unaided voice communication is required	70 65 (During examinations)

Notes:

[1] The above standards apply to uses that rely on opened windows for ventilation.

[2] The criteria laid down in the relevant technical memoranda under the NCO for designated areas and construction works other than percussive piling may be used for planning purpose. A Construction Noise Permit (CNP) shall be required for the carrying out construction work during the period.

Construction Noise during Restricted Hours

The NCO also provides statutory control on general construction works during restricted hours (ie 1900 to 0700 hours (of the next day) from Monday to Saturday and at any time on Sundays or public holidays). The use of PME for construction works during restricted hours would require a Construction Noise Permit (CNP). The TM-GW details the procedures adopted by EPD for assessing such application. The granting of a CNP is subject to conditions stated in the CNP and it may be revoked at any time for failure to comply with the permit conditions.

In addition to the general controls on the use of PME during restricted hours, the use of Specified Powered Mechanical Equipment (SPME) and the undertaking of Prescribed Construction Work (PCW) during the restricted hours in a designated area are controlled by the TM-DA. Construction plant or equipment classified as SPME under the TM-DA includes hand-held breakers, bulldozers, concrete mixer lorries, dump trucks and poker vibrators. The PCW includes the erection or dismantling of formwork or scaffolding, hammering, handling of rubble, wooden boards, steel bars, or scaffolding material, and the disposal of rubble through plastic chutes.

The TM-DA details the procedures that should generally be adopted by the Authority for assessing the use of SPME during restricted hours and for determining whether a CNP would be issued.

Maximum noise levels from construction activities during restricted hours at affected NSRs are controlled under the TMs and shall not exceed the specified Acceptable Noise Levels (ANLs). These ANLs are stipulated in accordance with the Area Sensitivity Ratings established for the NSRs. The ANLs for construction works in Designated Areas are more stringent than those given in the GW-TM and summarized in the table below.

Table 5.2: Acceptable Noise Levels for Construction during Restricted Hours

Time Period	Acceptable Noise Levels for Area Sensitivity Ratings, dB(A)
	A	B	C
All weekdays during the evening (1900 to 2300 hours), and general holidays (including Sundays) during the day and evening (0700 to 2300 hours)	60 (45)	65 (50)	70 (55)
All days during the night-time (2300 to 0700 hours)	45 (30)	50 (35)	55 (40)

Note: Figures in brackets are ANLs for SPME construction work in designated areas

Area Sensitivity Rating (ASR)

The appropriate ASR for the NSR shall consider under consideration from below table.

Any NSR shall, irrespective of Table 5.3, be assigned an ASR of "C" if it is within 100 m of a zone designated as "Industrial" or "Industrial Estate" on a statutory Outline Zoning Plan, or an ASR of "B" if it is between 100 m and 250 m from such a zone, except in cases where Table 5.3 indicates an ASR of "C".

Table 5.3 Area Sensitivity Ratings (ASRs)

Type of Area containing NSR	Degree to which NSR is affected by IF
	Not Affected	Indirectly Affected	Directly Affected
(i) Rural area, including country parks or village type developments	A	B	B
(ii) Low density residential area consisting of low-rise or isolated high-rise developments	A	B	C
(iii) Urban area	B	C	C
(iv) Area other than those above	B	B	C

Note:

For the purpose of Table 5.3, the following definitions apply:

"country park" means an area that is designated as a country park pursuant to section 14 of the Country Parks Ordinance;

"directly affected" means that the NSR is at such a location that noise generated by the IF is readily noticeable at the NSR and is a dominant feature of the noise climate of the NSR;

"indirectly affected" means that the NSR is at such a location that noise generated by the IF, whilst noticeable at the NSR, is not a dominant feature of the noise climate of the NSR;

"not affected" means that the NSR is at such a location that noise generated by the IF is not noticeable at the NSR; and

"urban area" means an area of high density, diverse development including a mixture of such elements as industrial activities, major trade or commercial activities and residential premises.

Despite any description made in this EIA, there is no guarantee that a CNP will be issued for the project construction. The Noise Control Authority will consider a well-justified CNP application, once filed, for construction works within restricted hours as guided by the relevant TMs issued under the NCO. The Noise Control Authority will take into account contemporary conditions / situations of adjoining land uses and any previous complaints against construction activities at the site before making a decision in granting a CNP. Nothing in the EIA report shall bind the Noise Control Authority in making a decision. If a CNP is to be issued, the Noise Control Authority shall include in it any conditions demand. Failure to comply with any such conditions will lead to cancellation of the CNP and prosecution under the NCO.

Percussive Piling

Under the TM-PP, CNPs are also required for percussive piling involving the use of diesel, pneumatic and / or steam hammer. This TM specifies the permitted hours and other conditions for percussive piling. The table below lists the acceptable percussive piling noise levels for various types of NSR.

Table 5.4: Acceptable Noise Levels for Percussive Piling

NSR Window Type or Means of Ventilation	ANL (dB(A))
(i) NSR (or part of NSR) with no window or other opening	100
(ii) NSR with central air conditioning system	90
(iii) NSR with windows or other openings but without central air conditioning system	85

Depending on the numbers and types of piling machines and the separation from NSRs, percussive piling may be restricted to 12, 5 or 3 hours per day. For NSRs that are particularly sensitive to noise, such as hospitals, medical clinics, educational institutions and courts of law, a further reduction of 10 dB(A) shall be applied to the above ANLs.

Blasting

The administrative and procedural control of all blasting operations in Hong Kong is vested in the Mines Division of the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD). The Dangerous Goods (General) Regulations, Chapter 295 also stipulates that no person shall carry out blasting unless he possesses a valid mine blasting certificate to be issued by the Mines Division of CEDD. The Superintendent of Mines will review the application on a case-by-case basis before issuing the Mine Blasting Certificate. Although there is no statutory noise level for blasting, the noise associated with the removal of debris and rocks are controlled under the TM-EIAO.

Construction Groundborne Noise

Noise arising from general construction works during normal working hours is governed by the TM-EIAO under the EIAO. The Technical Memorandum for the Assessment of Noise from Places other than Domestic Premises, Public Places or Construction Sites (TM-IND) under the NCO stipulates that noise transmitted primarily through the structural elements of building, or buildings, shall be 10 dB(A) less than the relevant ANLs.

Based on the same principle for the ground-borne noise criteria (i.e. ANL-10 dB(A) under the TM-IND), the construction groundborne noise levels inside domestic premises and schools shall be limited to 65 dB(A) and 60 dB(A) respectively when compared to the TM-EIAO. The construction groundborne noise criteria has been summarized in Table 5.5.

For construction works conducted on general holidays, Sundays and weekdays during evening (1900-2300 hrs) and night time (2300-0700 hrs) the following day, the construction groundborne noise level shall be limited to 10 dB(A) below the respective ANLs for the ASR appropriate to those NSRs affected by the Project. A summary of these criteria is given in the table below.

Table 5.5: Construction Groundborne Noise Criteria (Leq 30min, dB(A))

NSR type	Construction Groundborne Noise Criteria, dB(A)
	Daytime (0700– 1900) except general holidays and Sunday	Daytime (0700-1900) during general holidays and Sundays and all days during Evening (1900-2300 hrs)	Night-time (2300 – 0700 hrs)
All domestic premises including temporary housing accommodation	65	50/55/60^[1,2]	35/40/45^[1,2]
Hotels and hostel
Educational institutions including kindergarten, nurseries and all others where unaided voice communication is required	60 55 (for during examination)	N/A^[3]	N/A^[3]
Notes: [1] Based on the Basic Noise Level for NSRs with Area Sensitivity Ratings of A, B, and C detailed in the Technical Memorandum on Noise From Construction Work Other Than Percussive Piling. [2] Construction Noise Permit is required for works during this period. [3] No sensitive use in educational institutions during evening and night-time during normal period and on general holidays and Sunday is assumed except specified.

5.2.2 Operational Noise

The relevant legislation and associated guidelines applicable to the operational noise assessment includes:

· EIAO (Cap. 499);

· TM for the assessment of Noise from Places other than Domestic Premises, Public Places or Construction Sites (TM-Places); and

· Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG).

Road Traffic Noise

The TM-EIAO has stipulated the noise standards for various noise sources as shown in the following table.

Table 5.6: Noise Standards for Operational Phase (Road Traffic Noise)

Common Uses	Noise Standards ^[1]
	Road Traffic Noise L10 (1hour) dB(A)
All domestic premises including temporary housing accommodation	70
Hotels and hostels	70
Offices	70
Educational institutions including kindergartens, nurseries and all others where unaided voice communication is required	65
Places of public worship and courts of law	65
Hospitals, clinics, convalescences and homes for the aged, diagnostic rooms, wards	55

Notes:

[1] The above standards apply to uses that rely on opened windows for ventilation.

Fixed Noise Sources

Operational noise from fixed noise sources is controlled under the NCO’s Technical Memorandum on Noise from Places other than Domestic Premises, Public Places or Construction Sites. To plan for a better environment, the TM-EIAO has specified the following requirements.

· 5 dB(A) below the appropriate ANLs in the Technical Memorandum on Noise from Places other than Domestic Premises, Public Places or Construction Sites (TM-IND); or

· the existing noise levels (For quiet areas with level 5dB(A) below the ANL).

Table 5.7: Noise Standards for Operational Phase (Fixed Noise Sources)

Common Uses	Noise Standards ^[1]
	Fixed Noise Sources
All domestic premises including temporary housing accommodation	(a) 5dB(A) below the appropriate Acceptable Noise Levels (ANL) shown in Table 2 of the Technical Memorandum for the Assessment of Noise from Places Other than Domestic Premises, Public Places or Construction Sites, or (b) the prevailing background noise levels (For quiet areas with level 5 dB(A) below the ANL)
Hotels and hostels
Offices
Educational institutions including kindergartens, nurseries and all others where unaided voice communication is required
Places of public worship and courts of law
Hospitals, clinics, convalescences and homes for the aged, diagnostic rooms, wards

The ANLs for different ASR (refers to Table 5.3) during different periods are summarized in the following table.

Table 5.8: Acceptable Noise Levels for Fixed Noise Sources

Time Period	ANL, dB(A)			ANL-5, dB(A)
	ASR A	ASR B	ASR C	ASR A	ASR B	ASR C
Day (0700 to 1900 hours)	60	65	70	55	60	65
Evening (1900 to 2300 hours)	60	65	70	55	60	65
Night (2300 to 0700 hours)	50	55	60	45	50	55

Note: ASR – Area Sensitivity Rating

Noise from Public Transport Interchange

There are no noise level standards stipulated for the noise from the operation of public transport interchange (PTI). Chapter 9 of Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) provides considerations for the Project Proponent to determine the location and layout of a PTI during planning stage.

5.3 Noise Sensitive Receivers

With reference to Annex 13 of the TM-EIAO, NSRs include residential uses (all domestic premises including temporary housing), institutional uses (educational institutions including kindergarten and nurseries), hospitals, medical clinics, homes for the aged, convalescent homes, places of public worship, libraries, court of law, performing arts centers, auditoria and amphitheatres, country park and others. All hospitals and performance venues are air-conditioned and do not rely on opened windows for ventilation.

Representative NSRs within a distance of 300m from the either side of the project boundary have been identified. The first layer of NSRs has been identified and selected for assessment. These NSRs will cover all existing sensitive developments (including those occupied before completion of the construction) for construction noise assessment, and both the existing and planned developments for operational noise assessment.

Existing Receivers

The existing NSRs are identified by means of topographic maps, aerial photos, land status plans and several site surveys.

Planned/Committed Receivers

Planned/committed NSRs are identified by making reference to relevant Outline Zoning Plans (OZP), Outline Development Plans, Layout Plans and other published plans in the vicinity of the alignment, including:

· South West Kowloon (KPA 20) Outline Zoning Plan (No. S/K20/27);

· Tsim Sha Tsui (KPA 1) Outline Zoning Plan (No. S/K1/26);

· Yau Ma Tei (KPA 2) Outline Zoning Plan (No. S/K2/21);

· Ho Man Tin (KPA 6 & 7) Outline Zoning Plan (No. S/K7/22);

· Hung Hom (KPA 9) Outline Zoning Plan (No. S/K9/24);

· Ma Tau Kok (KPA 10) Outline Zoning Plan (No. S/K10/20);

· Kai Tak (KPA 22) Outline Zoning Plan (No. S/K22/4); and

· Ngau Tau Kok & Kowloon Bay (KPA 13 & 17) Outline Zoning Plan (No. S/K13/27)

A list of planned/ committed noise sensitive receivers was identified and summarized below.

West Portion

There are several areas zoned as Governmental, Institution and Community (G/IC) in West Portion. Planning use of these G/IC zone has been requested from Planning Department and a letter from Planning Department showing the potential uses of G/IC sites in West Kowloon latest OZP No. S/K20/27 is shown in Appendix 5.1A. Some of the G/IC uses are identified as noise sensitive receivers including Refuse Collection Point and Street Sleepers’ Shelters, Primary School and Hindu Temple for assessment.

According to the information provided by the respective project proponents of Street Sleepers’ Shelters and Hindu Temple, the Street Sleepers’ Shelters will be a 4-storey building with sensitive facades facing Ferry Street and Hau Cheung Street, the Hindu Temple will be a 10-storey building with sensitive facade facing West Kowloon Highway. However, there are no confirmed information on the layout of the planned school, referenced has been made to the existing schools in surrounding. It has therefore been assumed the school is 8-storey. The Coronation is a residential premises located at OZP No. S/K20/27, which is zoned as R(A)1. The latest layout and number of storey have been adopted in this assessment, which has already confirmed by site inspection. There are no confirmed intake programme of Hindu Temple and Primary School, hence, these two receivers are not included as construction noise impact assessment.

Central Portion

According to the latest OZP No. S/K7/21, there is a R(B)2 zone next to the planned Project site office which is under construction. However, as no confirmed building layout is available during the preparation of this EIA study, assessments point at the boundary has been selected for airborne construction noise impact assessment.

East Portion

All selected planned / committed receivers at East portion were based on latest Kai Tak Outline Zoning Plan (No. S/K22/4) gazetted on 14 Sept 2012. As no confirmed building layout is available during the preparation of this EIA study, assessment locations have been selected at this area including residential uses, comprehensive development area, planned hospital and planned school. The building height restriction and the population intake of these planned receivers is based on the latest Kai Tak Outline Zoning Plan.

For the planned school, the school layout has assumed as typical school layout and sensitive facades surrounding the building layout are selected for assessment.

Overall

The locations of the representative NSRs for noise impact assessment during both construction and operation of the project are illustrated in Figures 5.1.1 to 5.3.2, and are summarized in the table below. Groundborne noise sensitive receivers have been selected at both portal end and central portion given that separation distance between these selected noise sensitive receivers to the rock head level would be minimum along the alignment. Figure 2.3 shows the longitudinal profile of CKR. A summary of noise sensitive receivers is tabulated in Appendix 5.1. Photos showing existing noise sensitive receivers are given in Appendix 5.2.

Table 5.9: Representative NSRs for Noise Impact Assessment

NSR ID	Description	Landuse ^[1]	No. of Storey	Construction Phase		Operational Phase
				Airborne	Groundborne	Road Traffic Noise	Fixed Plant Noise
West Portion
W-N1A	Yau Ma Tei Catholic Primary School (Hoi Wang Road)	E	8	√	X	√	√
W-N1B	Yau Ma Tei Catholic Primary School (Hoi Wang Road)	E	8	X	X	√	X
W-N2	Charming Garden Block 12	R	23	√	X	√	√
W-N3	Yau Ma Tei Catholic Primary School (Tung Kun Street)	E	7	√	X	√	X
W-N6	Man Cheong Building	R	18	X	X	√	X
W-N6A	Man Wai Building	R	18	X	X	√	X
W-N7	Kum Lam Building	R	12	√	X	√	X
W-N8	Dickson Building	R	18	√	X	√	X
W-N8A	Tak Cheong Building	R	18	√	X	√	X
W-N9A	Yau Ma Tei Jockey Club Polyclinic	H	10	X	X	√	X
W-N9B	Yau Ma Tei Jockey Club Polyclinic	H	10	X	X	√	X
W-N10A	Alhambra Building (West façade)	R	15	√	√	√	X
W-N10B	Alhambra Building (West façade)	R	15	√	X	X	X
W-N10C	Alhambra Building (North façade)	R	15	X	X	√	X
W-N11	Hong Kong Community College (HKCC) of the HK ^[1]	E	19	√	X	√	X
W-N14	Charming Garden Block 1	R	22	X	X	√	√
W-N15	HKMA David Li Kwok Po College	E	8	√	X	√	X
W-N18	Hydan Place	R	17	√	X	√	X
W-N19	Methodist College	E	6	√	√	√	X
W-N20	Tang’s Mansion	R	15	X	X	√	X
W-N21	Temple Street No. 56	R	7	√	X	√	X
W-N22	Kamly Court	R	10	√	X	√	X
W-N23	Hang Wan House	R	23	√	X	√	X
W-N24	Prosperous Garden Block 5	R	27	√	X	√	X
W-N25A	Prosperous Garden Block 1	R	28	√	X	√	X
W-N25B	Prosperous Garden Block 1	R	28	X	X	√	X
W-N26A	Prosperous Garden Block 2	R	28	X	X	√	X
W-N26B	Prosperous Garden Block 2	R	28	X	X	√	X
W-N27	Prosperous Garden Block 3	R	28	X	X	√	X
W-N28	Wah Tak Building	R	17	X	X	√	X
W-N29	Tin Hau Temple	W	1	X	X	√	X
W-N30	The Sorrento	R	50	X	X	√	X
W-N31	Shanghai Street No. 217-225	R	5	√	X	X	X
W-N32	Sing On Building	R	5	√	X	X	X
W-P6A, C	Refuse Collection Point and Street Sleepers’ shelters (Planned)	GIC	4	√	X	√	X
W-P7A-G	Primary School (Planned)	E	8	X	X	√	X
W-P8	Hindu Temple (Planned) ^[^2^]	W	10	X	X	√	√
W-P9	The Coronation	R	30	√	X	√	X
W-P10	The Coronation	R	30	X	X	√	X
W-P11	The Coronation	R	30	√	X	√	X
W-P12	The Coronation	R	30	√	X	√	X
W-P13	The Coronation	R	30	X	X	√	X
W-P14	The Coronation	R	30	X	X	√	X
Central Portion
M-N1	Kar Man House, Oi Man Estate	R	6	√	√	X	√
M-N2	Carmel on the Hill	R	25	√	X	X	√
M-N3	SKH Tsoi Kung Po Secondary School	E	8	√	√	X	√
M-N4	Man Fuk House Block A	R	15	√	X	X	√
M-N5	Cascades Block A	R	18	√	X	X	X
M-N6	Ko Fai House, Kwun Fai Court	R	9	√	√	X	√
M-P2	Planned Residential Area B (Planned)	R	-	√	X	X	√
M-P3	Planned Residential Area B (Planned)	R	-	√	X	X	√
East Portion
E-N6	Grand Waterfront Tower 5	R	51	√	X	X	X
E-N11	Holy Carpenter Primary School	E	6	√	X	X	X
E-N12	Grand Waterfront Tower 3	R	51	√	√	X	X
E-N13	Grand Waterfront Tower 1	R	51	√	X	X	X
E-N14	Chong Chien Court Block J	R	13	√	√	X	X
E-N15	Hang Chien Court Block I	R	13	√	X	X	X
E-N19	Buddhist Chi King Primary School	E	8	√	X	√	X
E-N20	Hing Yan Street No. 29	R	7	√	X	X	X
E-N21	Hang Chien Court Block J	R	13	√	X	X	X
E-N22	Hang Chien Court Block H	R	13	√	X	X	X
E-P1	Site 1L2 (Planned)	R	32	X	X	√	X
E-P6	Site 5A4a (Planned)	CDA	20	X	X	√	X
E-P7	Site 5A4b (Planned)	CDA	35	X	X	√	X
E-P8	Site 1L3 (Planned)	R	15	X	X	√	√
E-P13A-B	Site 3C1 – Hospital (Planned)	H	14	X	X	√	X
E-P14A-G	Site 3B1- Secondary School (Planned)	E	10	X	X	√	√
E-P16	Site 1L3 (Planned)	R	32	X	X	√	X
E-P20	Site 1I3 (Planned)	R	32	√	X	√	X
Barging Point
B-N1	Grand Horizons	R	36	√	X	X	X

Notes:

R – residential; E – educational; H – clinic/ home for the aged/hospital; W – worship; GIC – government, institution and community; CDA – Comprehensive Development Area

√ – Include for assessment; X – Not included for assessment. Selected NSRs would better represent the impacts already.

[1] Central air-conditioning is provided.

[2] According to the information provided by the respective project proponent, this planned temple would have 10 storey high. The tentative layout has also been adopted in this EIA.

Prevailing Noise Levels

According to the latest design, there are three ventilation buildings, one near the western portal, one near the eastern portal and the central ventilation building will locate at the central portion near Ho Man Tin West Service Reservoir. Noise measurements have been conducted to establish the prevailing noise levels in the vicinity of the proposed ventilation buildings where fixed noise sources are anticipated. Appendix 5.3 shows the measurement locations for prevailing noise levels. A summary of the results is given in the table below.

Table 5.10: Measurements of Prevailing Noise Levels

Measurement Location	Prevailing Noise Levels ^[1], dB(A) L eq
	Day & Evening ^[2]	Night ^[2]
West Portion (Location A)	64-68	60-61
West Portion (Location B)	65-66	55-56
Central Portion (Location C)	73-75	70-71
Central Portion (Location D)	73-74	69-70
East Portion (Location E)	69-71	66-69

Note:

^[1] Measurements conducted in November 2011

^[2] Day: 0700 to 1900 hours, Evening: 1900 to 2300 hours, Night: 2300 to 0700 hours

Area Sensitivity Rating

The table above shows the NSRs which close to the ventilation buildings may have potential fixed plant noise impact and these NSRs have been selected for fixed plant noise assessment. The ASR of NSRs identified for the fixed plant noise is summarized in the table below.

Table 5.11: ASR of Representative NSRs for Fixed Plant Noise Assessment

NSR ID	Landuse ^[1]	Type of Area	Influence Factor (IF)	Degree to which NSR is affected by IF	ASR
W-N1A	E	Urban	N/A	N/A	B
W-N2	R	Urban	N/A	N/A	B
W-N14	R	Urban	West Kowloon Expressway ^[2]	Directly	C
W-P8	W	Urban	West Kowloon Expressway ^[2]	Directly	C
M-N1	R	Urban	N/A	N/A	B
M-N2	R	Urban	N/A	N/A	B
M-N3	E	Urban	N/A	N/A	B
M-N4	R	Urban	N/A	N/A	B
M-N6	R	Urban	N/A	N/A	B
M-P2	R	Urban	N/A	N/A	B
M-P3	R	Urban	N/A	N/A	B
E-P8	R	Urban	Kai Fuk Road ^[3]	Directly	C
E-P14A	E	Urban	Kai Fuk Road ^[3]	Directly	C

Notes:

[1] R– residential; E – educational; W – Place of public worship

[2] The AADT of West Kowloon Expressway (Station no. 3707) is greater than 30,000 according to AADT 2011

[3] The AADT of Kai Fuk Road (Station no. 3206) is greater than 30,000 according to AADT 2011

Noise Criteria

A summary of the noise criteria at representative NSRs which would be subject to the impact of fixed plant noise is given in the following table. The prevailing noise level at each NSR would be determined based on measurement results at the nearest location as shown in the table below.

Table 5.12: Summary of Noise Criteria at NSRs for Fixed Noise Sources

Location	NSR	Time Period ^[1]	Prevailing Noise Levels, dB(A) ^[2]	ASR	ANL-5 dB(A) ^[3]	Criteria dB(A) ^[4]
West Portion (Location A)	W-N1A, W-N2	Day & evening	64	B	60	60
		Night	60	B	50	50
West Portion (Location A)	W-N14	Day & evening	64	C	65	64
		Night	60	C	55	55
West Portion (Location B)	WP-8	Day & evening	65	C	65	65
		Night	55	C	55	55
Central Portion (Location C)	M-N2, M-N3, M-N4	Day & evening	73	B	60	60
		Night	70	B	50	50
Central Portion (Location D)	M-N1, M-N6, M-P2, M-P3	Day & evening	73	B	60	60
		Night	69	B	50	50
East Portion (Location E)	E-P8, E-P14A	Day & evening	69	C	65	65
		Night	66	C	55	55

Note:

[1] Day: 0700 to 1900 hours, Evening: 1900 to 2300 hours, Night: 2300 to 0700 hours.

[2] Prevailing noise level determined based on the measurement result recorded at the representative location nearest to the respective NSR.

[3] A 5 dB(A) has been deducted from ANL as specified in requirement of TM-EIAO.

[4] The Minimum of [2] & [3] is adopted.

5.4 Construction Noise Impact Assessment

5.4.1 Construction Airborne Noise

Noise Sources

The latest construction methodology is described in Chapter 3. Based on the construction methodologies, the major construction works would include the following activities:

· Site clearance and formation activities;

· Structure dismantling;

· Tunnel construction (including non-blasting tunneling, drill-and-blast tunneling, underwater tunnel and cut-and-cover);

· Rock crushing inside the tunnel shaft of West, Central and East Portions;

· Construction of approach roads;

· Portal construction;

· Diversion of utilities;

· Spoils removal from underground works & stockpiling;

· Backfilling and reinstatement works; and

· Barging activities.

These construction activities would be carried out with the use of PME including breakers, excavators, lorries, mobile cranes, concrete pumps, concrete mixers, pokers, road rollers, etc. Sound Power Level (SWL) for each PME would be established according to TM-GW and other relevant information as appropriate.

All the works associated with the tunnel works (e.g. holes drilling and rock excavation etc) would be conducted deep inside the tunnel. For the operation of rock crushers in particular, they would be located typically at about 20 to 30m from the portals inside the tunnel. The approximate location of rock crushers are shown in Appendix 5.4C. Although the horizontal distance between the mucking out points and the sensitive receivers of West, Central and East Portions are within 50m, the rock crusher in the Central Portion will however be located over 100m vertically from the mucking out. Hence, only operations of rock crushers at West Portion and East Portion have been assessed.

Assessment Methodology

Construction airborne noise assessment has been conducted based on the following procedures:

· Determine the assessment area, and identify representative NSRs that may be affected by the works;

· Obtain the construction method and work sequence for the construction period;

· Obtain the plant items for each corresponding construction work sequence;

· Determine the sound power levels of the plant items according to the information stated in the TM-GW or other recognized sources of reference, where appropriate;

· Calculate the correction factors based on the distance between the NSRs and the notional noise source positions of the work sites;

· Apply corrections for façade, distance, barrier attenuation, acoustic reflection where applicable;

· Quantify the level of impact at the NSRs in accordance with TM-GW;

· Predict the cumulative noise impacts by any concurrent construction works in the vicinity; and

· For any exceedance of noise criteria, all practical mitigation measures such as alternative construction methodology, quiet plant, silencer, enclosure, etc, shall be examined to alleviate the predicted noise impacts as much as practicable.

Utilization Rates and SWLs of Powered Mechanical Equipment

Practically, the PMEs will not be operating for all times within a work site. The utilization rates would depend on the construction sequences, work fronts scale and construction nature. In this assessment, the utilization rates for each work front during different periods have been reviewed by the engineer and have been concluded to be practicable for the purpose of this EIA. Appendix 5.4A summarizes the adopted utilization rates and the associated SWL for different construction sequences.

Noise Assessment Tool

An in-house program has been used for construction noise calculations. Initially, the program runs were conducted without any mitigation measures (i.e. the “Unmitigated Scenario”). Where noise level exceedance was identified, further runs would be made assuming different combinations of mitigation measures to be incorporated (i.e. the “Mitigated Scenario”).

Assessment Results - Unmitigated Scenario

According to the latest engineering design, the construction works would mainly comprise of the activities as described in Section 3.5. The corresponding Sound Power Levels (SWLs) of these activities have been estimated according to the PME’s SWLs and the assessment methodology in the GW-TM. Appendices 5.5A to 5.8A present the PME inventory adopted in each construction works area, including west portion, central portion and east portion. Appendices 5.5B to 5.8B present the distance between the notional sources and the NSRs, screening effects due to terrains etc.