5. noise impact assessment

5.1. Introduction

5.1.1. This section presents a noise impact assessment, which identifies potential sources of noise impact, assesses the potential impacts and recommends mitigation measures where required to reduce the noise impacts to acceptable levels, for the construction and operation of the proposed Project.

5.2. Environmental Legislation, Standards and Guidelines

General

5.2.1. The Noise Control Ordinance, Cap 400 (NCO) and the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO) (Cap 499) provide the statutory framework for noise control. Assessment procedures and standards relevant to the proposed Project are set out in the Technical Memoranda (TM) given below:

¡P TM on Environmental Impact Assessment Process (EIAO-TM);

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

¡P TM on Noise from Construction Work in Designated Areas (DA-TM); and

¡P TM for the Assessment of Noise from Places Other Than Domestic Premises, Public Places or Construction Sites (IND-TM).

5.2.2. The carrying out of percussive piling is prohibited between 1900 and 0700 hours or at any time on a general holiday (including Sunday). A valid construction noise permit (CNP) is required for the carrying out of percussive piling during the permitted hours.

Construction Phase

General Construction Activities during Non-Restricted Hours

5.2.3. Noise impacts arising from general construction activities other than percussive piling between 0700 and 1900 hours on any day not being a Sunday or general holiday are assessed against the standards set out in the EIAO-TM. The noise standards are summarised in Table 5.1 below.

Table 5.1 Noise Standards for Daytime Construction Activities

Use	Noise Standards, Leq(30mins) dB(A)
Domestic premises, hotels and hostels	75
Education institutions, kindergartens, nurseries and all others where voice communication is required	70 65 (during examination period)

Note: The above standards apply to noise sensitive uses which rely on opened window for ventilation.

5.2.4. According to the construction programme shown in Appendix 3.1, all the proposed construction works will be carried out during non-restricted hours.

Operation Phase

Fixed Plant Noise

5.2.5. The NCO and IND-TM control noise from fixed noise sources from places or premises other than domestic premises, public places or construction sites. For the assessment of impacts from fixed noise sources, the Area Sensitive Rating (ASR) of the noise sensitive receivers (NSRs) must be determined in accordance with the IND-TM. Similar to the GW-TM and DA-TM, the appropriate Acceptable Noise Level (ANL) can be determined based on the ASR. There are 4 types of area described in the IND-TM which are summarised in Table 5.2 below.

Table 5.2 Area Sensitivity Ratings of NSRs

Type of Area Containing NSR	Degree to which NSR is affected by Influencing Factors (IFs)
	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

5.2.6. The ANLs based upon the different ASRs are shown in Table 5.3 below.

Table 5.3 ANLs for Fixed Plant Noise

Time Period	ANL, dB(A)
	ASR ¡¥A¡¦	ASR ¡¦B¡¦	ASR ¡¥C¡¦
Day and evening (0700-2300 hrs)	60	65	70
Night (2300-0700 hrs)	50	55	60

5.2.7. More stringent criteria for assessing fixed plant noise are specified in the EIAO-TM for planning purposes. The assessment criteria are:

¡P 5dB(A) below the appropriate ANL set out in the IND-TM (as shown in Table 5.3 above); or

¡P The prevailing background noise level, whichever is the lower.

Road Traffic Noise

5.2.8. The EIAO-TM defines road traffic noise standards for planning purposes. The relevant criteria are shown in Table 5.4 below.

Table 5.4 Road Traffic Noise Standards for Planning Purposes

Use	Road Traffic Noise Peak Hour Traffic, L10(1 hour) dB(A)
Domestic premises	70
Hotel and hostels	70
Offices	70
Education institutions	65
Places of public worship and courts of law	65
Hospital & clinics, convalescences and homes for the aged, diagnostic rooms, wards	55

Note: The above standards apply to noise sensitive uses which rely on opened window for ventilation.

5.3. Identification of Noise Sensitive Receivers

5.3.1. Representative NSRs were identified in accordance with Annexes 5 and 13 of the EIAO-TM and should include all domestic premises, temporary housing accommodation, educational institutions including kindergartens, nurseries, and all others where unaided voice communication is required, hospitals, medical clinics, homes for the aged, convalescent homes, places of public worship, libraries, courts of law, performing arts centres, auditoria, amphitheatres, hostels and country parks that have direct line-of-sight and substantial angle of view of the Project area. Study area is expanded beyond 300m from the Project site to include NSRs at Tsui Wan Estate.

5.3.2. The existing NSRs were identified with reference to the latest best available information at the time of preparation of this report, such as those showing on the survey maps, topographic maps, aerial photos and other relevant land use plans. Site surveys were conducted on 20 May 2014 to verify the sensitive receivers and confirm the desktop studies.

5.3.3. Planned NSR was identified with reference to the latest best available information at the time of preparation of this report. Confirmations have been obtained from various government departments in May 2014 on the planned developments. A planned THEi New Campus was identified as the only planned NSR of the proposed Project.

5.3.4. Figure 5.1 shows the Project boundary, representative NSRs and noise assessment points (NAPs). Details of the representative existing and planned NSRs with the corresponding NAPs are summarised in Table 5.5. Photos of the representative existing NSRs are shown in Appendix 5.1.

Table 5.5 Representative Existing and Planned NSRs with the Corresponding NAPs

NSR ID	NAP ID	Name of Building	Use ^[1]	Potential Impact ^[2]	No. of Storeys	Approx. Distance from the Site (m)	Shielded/ No Direct Line-of- Sight
NSR 1	NAP 101	Heng Fa Chuen Block 50	R	C, R, F	21	300	Nil
NSR 2	NAP 201	Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan) - Academic Block	E	C, R, F	6	145	Nil
	NAP 202			R		248	1/F ¡V 6/F
NSR 3	NAP 301	Knight Court Flat C & D ^[4]	R	R	24	160	1F ¡V 24/F
NSR 4	NAP 401	Tsui Shou House, Tsui Wan Estate	R	C, R, F	30	345	Nil
NSR 5	NAP 501	Endeavourers Chan Cheng Kit Wan Kindergarten	E	C, R, F	1	340	Nil
NSR 6	NAP 601	Tsui Fuk House, Tsui Wan Estate	R	C, R, F	30	375	Nil
NSR 7	NAP 701	Tsui Hong House, Tsui Wan Estate	R	C, R, F	30	380	1/F ¡V 6/F
NSR 8 ^[3]	NAP 801	Planned THEi New Campus	E	C, F	14	200	Nil
	NAP 802		E	R	14	260	5/F- 13/F

Notes:

[1] R- Residential, E- Educational

[2] C- Construction air-borne noise, R- Operational road traffic noise, F- Operational fixed plant noise

[3] The classrooms will be located from 5/F to 13/F at NSR 8.

[4] The eastern façade of Knight Court are provided with windows with special key lock for cleansing purpose only (i.e. not relying on such windows for ventilation).

5.3.5. According to the site visit on 20 May 2014, split-type / window-type air-conditioners (A/Cs) have been installed at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan) (NSR 2) and Endeavourers Chan Cheng Kit Wan Kindergarten (NSR 5). Appendix 5.1 shows the existing A/Cs of NSR 2 and NSR 5.

5.3.6. Notwithstanding the provision of A/Cs, the abovementioned schools are considered as NSRs for noise impact assessment since natural ventilation by windows may also be available.

Area Sensitivity Rating (ASR) of Noise Sensitive Receivers

5.3.7. According to the latest Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) (No. S/H20/21) in the area, there are existing industrial zoning areas at the east and southeast of the proposed Project.

5.3.8. According to the Annual Traffic Census of 2013 published by the Transport Department (TD), the annual average daily traffic (AADT) at Wing Tai Road Flyover was about 36,620 vehicles per day while the AADT at Island Eastern Corridor (IEC) between Mong Lung Street and Wing Tai Road was about 54,600 vehicles per day. By definition, these two roads are IFs within the study area in accordance with the IND-TM.

5.3.9. Chai Wan area is an urban district consisting of high-rise developments. NSR 2 to NSR 8 are either directly or indirectly affected by IFs. Therefore, an ASR of C would be assigned to these NSRs. Since there is no direct line-of-sight between some residential premises at Block 50 of Heng Fa Chuen (NSR 1) (e.g. Room 8) and IEC, an ASR of B ,which would impose a more stringent fixed plant noise assessment criteria, would be assigned to the entire Block 50 as a conservative approach.

5.3.10. The identified ASRs of the NSRs are tabulated in Table 5.6 below.

Table 5.6 Identified Area Sensitivity Ratings of NSRs

NSR ID	Name of Building	IF	Directly Affected/ Indirectly Affected / Not Affected	ASR
NSR 1	Heng Fa Chuen Block 50	IEC	Not affected	B
NSR 2	Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan) - Academic Block	IEC & Wing Tai Road Flyover	Directly affected	C
NSR 3	Knight Court Flat C & D	IEC	Directly affected	C
NSR 4	Tsui Shou House, Tsui Wan Estate	Wing Tai Road Flyover	Directly affected	C
NSR 5	Endeavourers Chan Cheng Kit Wan Kindergarten	Wing Tai Road Flyover	Directly affected	C
NSR 6	Tsui Fuk House, Tsui Wan Estate	Wing Tai Road Flyover	Directly affected	C
NSR 7	Tsui Hong House, Tsui Wan Estate	Wing Tai Road Flyover	Directly affected	C
NSR 8	Planned THEi New Campus	Wing Tai Road Flyover	Directly affected	C

Note: In any event, the ASR assumed in the EIA Report is only indicative and it is used for assessment only. It should be noted that the fixed noise sources are controlled under Section 13 of the NCO. Therefore, the Noise Control Authority shall determine noise impact from concerned fixed noise sources on the basis of prevailing legislation and practices being in force, and taking account of contemporary conditions/ situations of adjoining land uses. Nothing in the EIA study shall bind the Noise Control Authority in the context of law enforcement against any of the fixed noise sources being assessed.

5.3.11. In order to determine the fixed plant noise assessment criteria, prevailing background noise surveys were conducted on 20 and 22 September 2014 and 16 May 2015. The lowest measured background noise levels in the same time period were adopted for determining the fixed plant noise assessment criteria. The survey locations are shown in Figure 5.2. The results of the prevailing background noise surveys and the fixed plant noise assessment criteria are shown in Table 5.7 and Appendix 5.2. As NSR 2, NSR 5 and NSR 8 are educational institutions, there is no night-time operation as confirmed by the institutions and thus no night-time prevailing background noise measurement was conducted for these NSRs.

Table 5.7 Lowest Measured Prevailing Background Noise Levels for NSRs and Fixed Plant Noise Assessment Criteria

NSR ID	Location ID	Lowest Measured Background Noise Level Leq (30mins) dB(A)		ANL ¡V 5 dB(A)		Fixed Plant Noise Assessment Criteria Leq (30mins) dB(A)
		Day/ evening time	Night-time	Day/ evening time	Night-time	Day/ evening time	Night-time
NSR 1	NLM 1	57	54	60	50	57	50
NSR 2	NLM 2	64	N/A	65	N/A	64	N/A
NSR 3	NLM 3	58	56	65	55	58	55
NSR 4	NLM 4	70	62	65	55	65	55
NSR 5	NLM 5	71	N/A	65	N/A	65	N/A
NSR 6	NLM 6	66	60	65	55	65	55
NSR 7	NLM 7	65	58	65	55	65	55
NSR 8	NLM 8	72	N/A	65	N/A	65	N/A

Note:

[1] ¡§N/A¡¨ denotes not applicable.

[2] The lowest measured background noise levels in the same time period were adopted for determining the fixed plant noise assessment criteria.

5.4. Description of the Existing Environment

5.4.1. The Project site is located in Chai Wan. The surrounding land uses comprise residential, recreational, community and industrial uses. Site visit conducted on 20 May 2014 revealed that the background noise environment of the representative NSRs was dominated by traffic noise mainly from Shing Tai Road, IEC and Wing Tai Road Flyover and to a lesser extent from Sheung On Street, Sheung Tat Street and Sheung Mau Street. There are also 2 bus maintenance depots operated by Citybus Limited and New World First Bus Services Limited in the vicinity.

5.5. Identification of Potential Noise Sources

Construction Phase

5.5.1. The potential sources of noise impact during the construction phase of the proposed Project are the use of PME for various construction activities. As broadly indicated in the preliminary construction programme in Appendix 3.1, the construction of the proposed Project would tentatively start in Mid-2016 and last for about 29 months. The major construction activities include:

¡P Site formation, excavation and filling;

¡P Foundation; and

¡P Main building construction.

5.5.2. Referring to Section 2.3.24, conventional steel H-piling is considered to be more preferable for the proposed Project and a CNP in force issued by the Noise Control Authority is required for carrying out percussive piling. As the issuance of a CNP depends on the application submitted by the Contractor, noise assessment for percussive piling activities is not included in this EIA study.

5.5.3. In order to provide a realistic noise assessment for the construction activities, the percentage on-time of PME to be operated on site were considered when calculating the total sound power level (SWL) of the construction activities. The Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) confirmed the validity of the assumed construction plant inventory and considered the percentage on-time of the plant reasonable.

Operation Phase

5.5.4. Operational noise from and associated with the proposed Project includes the following:

¡P Fixed plant noise

- Vehicle repair / testing activities

- Mechanical ventilation and air conditioning system (MVAC) equipment and other fixed noise sources equipment

¡P Road traffic noise

Fixed Plant Noise ¡V Vehicle Repair / Testing Activities

5.5.5. During the operation phase, noise sources shall include vehicle repair / testing activities for vehicles and engine noise emission from vehicles from the HKPF PVP&EC, EMSD and FEHD Depots. Major vehicle repair / testing activities at the EMSD Depot will be conducted from 0800 to 1800 hours on weekdays, whilst the vehicle / testing activities at the HKPF will be taken place on irregular basis due to operational needs. The HKPF PVP&EC will be operated 24 hours on 7 days per week basis. All of the vehicle repair / testing activities will be carried out within the covered area.

5.5.6. Vehicle repair / testing activities during night-time period will be avoided as far as practicable. Occasional testing and examination work for HKPF PVP&EC may be carried out for urgent need of the HKPF. As a conservative approach, night-time operation is included in this study. Details of fixed plant noise emitted from night-time operation at the HKPF PVP&EC are shown in Appendix 5.6.

5.5.7. For the planned vehicle repair / testing activities as advised by the EMSD, most of them would be the same as the existing workshop at Sheung On Street, Chai Wan. In this connection, the SWLs, operation frequencies and durations will be adopted from the approved EIA study for EMSD Hong Kong Workshop at Sheung On Street, Chai Wan (AEIAR-202/2012). In addition to the existing vehicle repair / testing activities, the EMSD proposed other activities which were not included in the existing workshop. Regarding these additional activities, the approved EIA Report for Reprovisioning of FEHD Sai Yee Street Environmental Hygiene Offices-cum-vehicle Depot at Yen Ming Road, West Kowloon Reclamation Area (AEIAR-216/2013) will be referenced.

5.5.8. All vehicle repair / testing activities of the proposed Project were verified by the future users, and it has been discussed in detail in Section 3.3. A variety of equipment will be provided in the proposed Project but not all of them would be considered to be significant noise sources in this study, because of their SWL and nature of operation. The details are given in Table 5.8.

5.5.9. SWLs associated with the identified noise sources as listed in Table 5.8 are obtained by making reference to the approved EIA Reports for New World First Bus Permanent Depot at Chai Wan (AEIAR-029-2000), Proposed Headquarters and Bus Maintenance Depot in Chai Wan (AEIAR-045/2001), Reprovisioning of FEHD Sai Yee Street Environmental Hygiene Offices-cum-vehicle Depot at Yen Ming Road, West Kowloon Reclamation Area (AEIAR-216/2013) and EMSD Hong Kong Workshop at Sheung On Street, Chai Wan (AEIAR-202/2012).

5.5.10. It is noticed that no SWL data for brake test strip can be adopted from previously approved EIA reports for other projects, on-site noise measurements were therefore conducted at the existing HKPF Depot in Quarry Bay to obtain the relevant noise level information for the assessment. The noise measurement methodology and estimated noise levels are presented in Appendix 5.9.

Table 5.8 Identification of Noise Sources

Location	Activity	Equipment	Noise Source	Remark
HKPF PVP&EC	Braking test (on Grade)	Brake test strip	Yes	Noise level information obtained from on-site noise measurements
	Braking test (on Slope)	Brake test ramp	No	The vehicle engine is either set at idle or off
	Braking test (for Vehicles other than Motorcycle)	Roller brake tester with a load simulator	No	The vehicle engine is set at idle
	Motorcycle speedometer calibration	Motorcycle speedometer calibrator	Yes	SWL obtained from AEIAR-202/2012
	Use of compressed air, e.g. for screw driving	Pneumatic tools	Yes	SWL obtained from AEIAR-216/2013
	Hammering	Hammer	Yes	SWL obtained from AEIAR-216/2013
	Vehicle parking	--	No	Vehicle moving at a low speed
	Vehicle lifting	Vehicle lifting hoists	No	The hoists are electrically powered with small output motors
	Vehicle examination (in pit)	--	No	The vehicle engine is set at idle
	Vehicle examination (at ground)	--	No	The vehicle engine is set at idle
EMSD Depot	Braking test (for vehicles other than motorcycle)	Roller brake tester	Yes	SWL obtained from AEIAR-216/2013
	Braking test (for motorcycle)	Motorcycle brake tester	Yes	SWL obtained from AEIAR-216/2013
	Speedometer testing (for motorcycle)	Motorcycle speedometer	Yes	SWL obtained from AEIAR-202/2012
	Tyre balancing	Tyre balancer	No	Spinning of tyres will be conducted at a low speed
	Tyre changing	Tyre changer	Yes	SWL obtained from AEIAR-216/2013
	Hammering	Hammer	Yes	SWL obtained from AEIAR-216/2013
	Use of compressed air, e.g. for screw driving	Pneumatic tools	Yes	SWL obtained from AEIAR-216/2013
	Vehicle washing	--	No	Manual washing only
	Vehicle lifting	Vehicle lifting hoists	No	The hoists are electrically powered with small output motors
	Engine testing	--	No	The vehicle engine is set at idle
	Vehicle parking	--	No	Vehicle moving at a low speed
	Battery charging	Automatic battery charger	No	No moving part
	Chemical mixing, e.g. lubricant mixing	Lubricant dosing equipment	No	Manual operation only
FEHD Depot	Vehicle washing	Automatic vehicle washing machine	Yes	SWL obtained from AEIAR-216/2013
	Water refilling for vehicles	Water refilling machine	No	The vehicle engine is set at idle
	Vehicle parking	--	No	Vehicle moving at a low speed
GL Specialist Laboratory	Vehicle parking	--	No	Vehicle moving at a low speed
	Chemical testing	--	No	No moving part

Fixed Plant Noise - Corrections

5.5.11. Corrections for tonality, intermittency or impulsiveness for each MVAC equipment and other fixed noise sources and vehicle repair / testing activity are determined according to the IND-TM.

5.5.12. A correction of + 3 dB(A) for impulsiveness was applied to hammering activities. For correction for tonality, as information was not available, a correction of + 6 dB(A) was applied to water pumps and transformers as a conservative assumption in this assessment. The corrections for tonality, impulsiveness and intermittency were not applied to the rest of the MVAC equipment and other fixed noise sources and vehicle repair / testing activities.

5.5.13. The quantities, referenced SWLs, operation durations and operation frequencies of workshop equipment and repair / testing activities in the proposed Project are shown in Appendix 5.6.

Fixed Plant Noise ¡V MVAC equipment and other fixed noise sources

5.5.14. MVAC equipment and other fixed noise sources associated with the operation of the proposed Project were identified as potential noise sources. They will be enclosed within plant rooms except the outdoor units of the air conditioning system on roof.

5.5.15. The locations of key fixed noise sources are shown on the preliminary design layout plans in Figure 5.4. The estimated quantity of identified noise sources to be operated during day/ evening and night-time periods are shown in Appendix 5.6.

Road Traffic Noise

5.5.16. The proposed Project does not involve the construction of new roads. However, vehicles entering and leaving the proposed Project may potentially increase the traffic noise levels at the NSRs. Vehicles are expected to access the proposed Project via IEC to/ from other districts, and passing by Sheung On Street, Sheung Mau Street, Shing Tai Road and Shun Tai Road.

5.5.17. As shown in Appendix 5.3, the predicted AM peak of road traffic flow of the proposed Project is 43 vehicles at 0800 to 0900 hours and the PM peak is 36 vehicles at 1500 to 1600 hours. The proof of endorsement of the traffic forecast data by TD and the proposed ingress/ egress routings provided in the technical note of traffic forecast submitted to TD are enclosed in Appendix 5.3. According to a letter dated 24 September 2014, TD had no comment on the technical note of traffic forecast for EIA study for the proposed Project from a traffic point of view.

5.6. Assessment Methodology

Construction Phase

5.6.1. Methodology for assessing noise impacts from the construction activities associated with the proposed Project is developed based on the GW-TM and is summarised as follows:

¡P Identification of notional noise source locations of the work site with respect to NSRs;

¡P Determination of distance attenuation and screening effects between NSRs and notional noise sources;

¡P Estimation of construction noise levels at NSRs in the absence of any mitigation measures;

¡P Proposal of mitigation measures and evaluation of their effectiveness; and

¡P Determination of residual impacts.

5.6.2. The adopted approach to assess the noise impact is in line with the Guidance Note titled ¡§Preparation of Construction Noise Impact Assessment under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance¡¨ (GN 9/2010).

5.6.3. The proposed NAPs for the construction noise impact assessment are summarised in Table 5.5. The NAPs were identified at the worst façade location nearest to the proposed Project. The construction inventory for the major construction activities are shown in Appendix 5.5 and the locations of notional noise sources are provided in Figure 5.3.

5.6.4. The construction noise impact was then assessed against the noise standards given in the EIAO-TM as shown in Table 5.1.

Operation phase

Fixed Plant Noise

5.6.5. As discussed in Section 5.5, major fixed plant noise sources of the proposed Project include vehicle repair / testing activities and operation of MVAC equipment and other fixed noise sources.

5.6.6. The noise sources of the vehicle repair / testing activities and MVAC equipment and other fixed noise sources were identified based on the preliminary design layout plans.

5.6.7. The assessment approach for the fixed plant noise impacts from the proposed Project was conducted with consideration of standard acoustic principles and are summarised as follows:

¡P SWLs associated with the operation of mechanical equipment and vehicle were obtained from previously approved EIA reports discussed in Section 5.5.9;

¡P On-site noise measurements were conducted to obtained the SWLs if no data was available from previous approved EIA report; and

¡P Sound pressure levels (SPLs) at NAPs were calculated based on distance attenuation, tonality correction, impulsiveness correction, intermittency correction, percentage on-time correction, barrier correction, quantity correction and façade correction.

5.6.8. The quantity and the operation duration of vehicle repair / testing activities and MVAC equipment and other fixed noise sources at the proposed Project were verified by the future users.

5.6.9. Since the design of the equipment to be installed in the plant rooms was not available during the course of this study, the maximum allowable SWLs for MVAC equipment & other fixed noise sources would be determined taking into account of the concurrent operational noise from vehicle repair / testing activities.

Road Traffic Noise

5.6.10. The road traffic noise impact was evaluated according to the ¡§Calculation of Road Traffic Noise¡¨ published by the Department of Transport UK and Guidance Note titled ¡§Road Traffic Noise Impact Assessment under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance¡¨ (GN 12/2010). Noise models for the road traffic noise impact assessment were established using computer simulation software RoadNoise 2000.

5.6.11. The extent of road sections at IEC paved with polymer modified friction course as low noise road surface as advised by the Highways Department is presented in Appendix 5.4. A correction of -3.5 dB(A) was added to the BNLs for all road sections paved with low noise road surface.

5.6.12. The road traffic noise impact contributed by road traffic generated from vehicles entering and leaving the proposed Project on the NSRs in the vicinity was evaluated in Section 5.7.

5.7. Prediction and Evaluation of Noise Impact

Construction Phase

5.7.1. The extent of construction noise impacts depends on the type and number of PME to be used in different construction activities and hence may vary throughout the construction phase. As shown in Appendix 3.1, the preliminary construction programme is expected to last for about 29 months. For the purpose of this EIA study, the construction period is assumed to start from mid-2016 to end-2018. The construction activities are expected to be conducted during normal daytime working hours only (i.e. 0700 to 1900 hours on any day not being a Sunday or general holiday).

5.7.2. Concurrent projects were also taken into account in the construction noise assessment. One concurrent project was identified. The anticipated works for the planned THEi New Campus are shown in Table 5.9.

Table 5.9 Anticipated Works of Planned THEi New Campus

Anticipated Work	Anticipated Construction Period	Anticipated Construction Work of the Project
Foundation works	Mar 2014 ¡V Oct 2014	Nil
Superstructure works	Nov 2014 ¡V Jun 2016	Nil
Interior fitting out and users moving-in	Feb 2016 ¡V Aug 2016	Site formation, excavation and filling work from mid-2016

5.7.3. Construction plant inventory for interior fitting out works for the planned THEi New Campus was reviewed and confirmed by the Project Proponent of the planned THEi New Campus. It was estimated based on the best available information. The construction plant inventory, calculation of unmitigated construction noise impact from the proposed Project alone and cumulative construction noise impact are provided in Appendix 5.5.

5.7.4. No examination will be scheduled at the kindergarten (NSR 5) as confirmed by the institution. The examination schedule for academic year 2014-2015 provided by the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan) (NSR 2) is listed in Table 5.10. It is assumed that the examination periods will be scheduled from January to July each year and last around 54 days in each academic year. No examination schedule for the planned THEi New Campus could be obtained at the time of preparation of this study. However, examinations are unlikely to be arranged in September and October of each academic year at the THEi New Campus, which was verified by t the Vocational Training Council (VTC) .

Table 5.10 Examination Schedule of Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan) for Academic Year 2014 - 2015

Examination Period (Academic year 2014 ¡V 2015)	No. of Days (including Saturdays)
September 2014	Nil
October 2014	Nil
November 2014	Nil
December 2014	Nil
January 2015	21
February 2015	Nil
March 2015	2
April 2015	4
May 2015	9
June 2015	11
July 2015	7
August 2015	Nil

5.7.5. Table 5.11 and Table 5.12 summarise the predicted construction noise levels due to the Project only and predicted cumulative construction noise levels respectively. The maximum construction noise levels during normal daytime working hours were predicted. The results indicate that construction activities of the proposed Project, if unmitigated, would cause exceedance of the construction noise standards at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan) - Academic Block (NAP 201) and Planned THEi New Campus (NAP 801) during examination periods. Mitigation measures are therefore considered to minimize the construction noise impact.

Table 5.11 Predicted Construction Noise Levels at Representative NAPs during Normal Daytime Working Hours due to the Project Only for Unmitigated Scenario

NAP ID	Description	ANL, dB(A)	Predicted Maximum Construction Noise Level, dB(A)
			Site Formation, Excavation and Filling	Foundation	Main Building Construction
NAP 101	Heng Fa Chuen Block 50	75	63	63	63
NAP 201	Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan) - Academic Block	70/65 ^[1]	70	70	70
NAP 202			56	55	55
NAP 301	Knight Court Flat C & D	75	59	59	59
NAP 401	Tsui Shou House, Tsui Wan Estate	75	63	63	63
NAP 501	Endeavourers Chan Cheng Kit Wan Kindergarten	70 ^[2]	63	63	63
NAP 601	Tsui Fuk House, Tsui Wan Estate	75	62	62	62
NAP 701	Tsui Hong House, Tsui Wan Estate	75	62	62	62
NAP 801	Planned THEi New Campus (i.e. Classrooms from 5/F onwards)	70/65 ^[1]	67	67	67
NAP 802			55	55	55

Notes:

[1] Construction noise criteria for schools are 70 dB(A) at normal school days and 65 dB(A) during examinations.

[2] No examinations will be scheduled at Endeavourers Chan Cheng Kit Wan Kindergarten and only construction noise criteria for school at normal school days will be applied.

[3] Noise levels exceeding the construction noise criteria are bolded.

Table 5.12 Predicted Cumulative Construction Noise Levels at Representative NAPs during Normal Daytime Working Hours for the Unmitigated Scenario

NAP ID	Description	ANL, dB(A)	Predicted Maximum Construction Noise Level, dB(A)
NAP 101	Heng Fa Chuen Block 50	75	64
NAP 201	Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan) - Academic Block	70/65 ^[1]	72
NAP 202			59
NAP 301	Knight Court Flat C & D	75	66
NAP 401	Tsui Shou House, Tsui Wan Estate	75	72
NAP 501	Endeavourers Chan Cheng Kit Wan Kindergarten	70 ^[3]	71
NAP 601	Tsui Fuk House, Tsui Wan Estate	75	67
NAP 701	Tsui Hong House, Tsui Wan Estate	75	55
NAP 801	Planned THEi New Campus (i.e. Classrooms from 5/F onwards)	N/A ^[4]
NAP 802

Notes:

[1] Construction noise standards for schools are 70 dB(A) at normal school days and 65 dB(A) during examinations.

[2] Noise levels exceeding the construction noise standards are bolded.

[3] No examinations will be scheduled at Endeavourers Chan Cheng Kit Wan Kindergarten and only construction noise standards for school at normal school days were applied.

[4] Planned THEi New Campus is the concurrent project under construction and thus no cumulative construction noise level applied.

Operation Phase

Fixed Plant Noise

5.7.6. During the operation phase, noise impacts due to the fixed plant noise sources including vehicle repair / testing activities, MVAC equipment and other fixed noise sources were assessed. Based upon the assumptions discussed in Section 5.6, the predicted fixed plant noise levels at the NAPs are shown in Table 5.13. Detailed calculations of fixed plant noise impact assessment and the maximum allowable SWL of each equipment, which should not be exceeded in order to comply with the fixed plant noise assessment criteria, are presented in Appendix 5.6.

5.7.7. It is anticipated that there should be no sudden change in noise levels at various floor levels at all the NAPs. The predicted maximum fixed plant noise levels at the NAPs at representative floors (high, mid and low zones) are presented in Table 5.13 and comply with both day/ evening time and night-time fixed plant noise assessment criteria.

5.7.8. If there is any change in design information during detailed design stage or fitting-out stage, the design of fixed plant should be reviewed by the Engineer/ Contractor to ensure that both the NCO and fixed plant noise criteria at the NSRs will be met in the future.

Table 5.13 Summary of Predicted Fixed Plant Noise Levels at NAPs

NAP ID	Level	Assessment Height (m)	Predicted Maximum Noise Level, Leq (30mins) dB(A)		ANL, Leq (30mins) dB(A)
			Day-time & Evening	Night-time	Day-time & Evening	Night-time
NAP 101	1/F	8.7	57	49	57	50
	10/F	35.7	57	49
	21/F	68.7	57	49
NAP 201	1/F	6.4	63	No operation in night-time	64	No operation in night-time
	3/F	12.4	63
	6/F	21.4	63
NAP 202	1/F	6.4	49	No operation in night-time	64	No operation in night-time
	3/F	12.4	49
	6/F	21.4	49
NAP 301	1/F	10.2	50	44	58	55
	12/F	43.2	50	44
	24/F	79.2	50	43
NAP 401	1/F	8.4	57	50	65	55
	15/F	50.4	57	50
	30/F	95.4	57	50
NAP 501	G/F	5.4	57	No operation in night-time	65	No operation in night-time
NAP 601	1/F	8.9	56	49	65	55
	15/F	50.9	56	49
	30/F	95.9	56	49
NAP 701	1/F	8.4	56	48	65	55
	15/F	50.4	56	49
	30/F	95.4	56	49
NAP 801	5/F	26.8	61	No operation in night-time	65	No operation in night-time
	9/F	43.6	61
	13/F	60.2	61
NAP 802	5/F	26.8	49	No operation in night-time	65	No operation in night-time
	9/F	43.6	49
	13/F	60.2	49

Road Traffic Noise

5.7.9. The predicted AM and PM peaks of the road traffic caused by the proposed Project are at 0800 to 0900 hours and 1500 to 1600 hours respectively. By comparing the noise levels between ¡§with project¡¨ and ¡§without project¡¨ during the AM and PM peaks, the highest noise contribution from the operation of the proposed Project could be determined.

5.7.10. In order to assess the significance of the noise contribution, the assessment year shall be within 15 years upon tentative commencement of the operation, i.e. 2018. It is anticipated that there is no major change in the traffic pattern for Years 2014, 2018 and 2033. Gradual natural increase in traffic flow is expected in the coming 15 years and thus Year 2033 is determined to be the assessment year in which the traffic flow will be the highest. The traffic forecasts for ¡§with project¡¨ and ¡§without project¡¨ scenarios for Years 2018 and 2033 were provided by the Traffic Consultant of the proposed Project and were endorsed by TD. The endorsed traffic forecasts and the proof of the endorsement by TD are summarised and provided in Appendix 5.3.

5.7.11. The noise contribution from the road traffic generated by the proposed Project is considered insignificant when the difference in traffic noise levels at the NSRs with and without the project is less than 1.0 dB(A).

5.7.12. The predicted overall traffic noise levels at NAPs during both AM and PM peaks in Year 2033 for the ¡§with project¡¨ and ¡§without project¡¨ scenarios are summarised in Appendix 5.7. The assessment results indicated that noise contribution from road traffic generated by the proposed Project will be in the range of 0.0 dB(A) to 0.2 dB(A) at all NAPs in Year 2033 scenario. The noise contribution is considered insignificant (i.e. less than 1.0 dB(A)) under the worst case scenario. The operation of the proposed Project is anticipated to have no significant contribution to road traffic noise impact on the NSRs.

5.8. Proposed Mitigation Measures

Construction Phase

5.8.1. Mitigation measures are required for the NSRs at which unmitigated construction noise levels are predicted to exceed the corresponding construction noise standards as shown in Table 5.12.

5.8.2. A number of available construction noise mitigation measures are proposed in this assessment, including:

¡P Selection and optimisation of construction programmes, such as avoidance of simultaneous operation of noisy PME, and/or reduction in the percentage on-time of PME during noise sensitive periods such as school examination period;

¡P Use of quality powered mechanical equipment (QPME) and quiet working methods;

¡P Use of movable at-source noise mitigation measures such as movable noise barriers, noise enclosures, noise jacket and mufflers;

¡P Implementation of good site practices to limit noise from construction site; and

¡P Preparation of Construction Noise Management Plan before construction commencement.

Selection and Optimisation of Construction Programmes

5.8.3. The timing and sequencing of the various construction activities shall be carefully arranged according to the actual site work situation, in order to limit the amount of concurrent activities and where applicable, to avoid simultaneous operation of noisy PME in order to minimise the total noise generated during the construction periods. Limiting the quantity of PME to be operated concurrently and also the percentage on-time of PME were recommended in the proposed Project and incorporated in this assessment. The proposed quantity of PME and their percentage on-time were confirmed feasible by the Project Proponent. In the case during school examination when a more stringent construction noise standard is imposed, the potentially most disruptive construction activities should be avoided and arranged to be conducted during school holidays as far as practicable.

Use of QPME and Quiet Working Methods

5.8.4. QPME is defined as a PME having actual SWL lower than the value specified for PME in the GW-TM. SWLs for typical PMEs provided in the GW-TM and that for equivalent QPME are presented in Table 5.14.

5.8.5. The use of QPME can result in reduction in noise levels. It is possible to further reduce the noise impact by adopting quiet working methods and specifying maximum SWL for specific plant equipment.

5.8.6. The QPME adopted in this assessment is for reference only and to be confirmed by the Contractor, in view of the actual construction conditions and programmes. Whilst QPME are listed, the Contractor may be able to obtain particular models of plant that are quieter than the QPMEs listed. The associated mitigation measures to the particular PME should be reviewed by the Contractor and.

Table 5.14 Maximum SWLs for Selected QPME

Identification Code in GW-TM	Description	SWL in GW-TM, dB(A)	Example in QPME List from EPD	SWL of QPME, dB(A)
CNP 081	Excavator/ loader, wheeled/ tracked	112	EPD-02383	92
CNP 101	Generator, Standard	108	EPD-00668	79
CNP 186	Roller, vibratory	108	EPD-00509	95
CNP 065	Drill/ grinder, hand-held (electric)	98	Other ^[1]	89
CNP 048	Mobile Crane	112	EPD-02602	102
CNP 170	Poker, vibratory, hand-held	113	Other ^[1]	102

Note: [1] It refers to examples in "Sound Power Levels of Other Commonly Used PME"

Use of Movable Noise Barriers

5.8.7. Movable noise barrier is very effective in screening noise from construction plant. Noise barrier located close to a PME can produce at least 10 dB(A) screening for stationery plant and 5 dB(A) for mobile plant provided that the direct line-of-sight of the PME is blocked. Subject to site condition, the noise barriers should be placed near to the construction plant as far as practical.

5.8.8. Barrier material of surface mass in excess of 10 kg/m² is recommended to achieve the maximum screening effect. The Contractor shall be responsible for the design of the movable noise barrier with due consideration given to the size of the PME and the requirement of intercepting the line-of-sight of the PME, as well as ensuring that the barrier should have no openings and gaps.

Implementation of Good Site Practices

5.8.9. Good site practices and noise management can provide considerable reductions in noise impact of the site activities. The following practices should be followed while carrying out construction works for the proposed Project:

¡P Use only well-maintained and regularly-serviced plant during the works;

¡P Turn off or throttle down the plant in intermittent use to a minimum;

¡P Orient the plant known to emit noise strongly in one direction to face away from the NSRs;

¡P Use silencers, mufflers and enclosures for plant where possible and maintain properly throughout the works;

¡P Site fixed plant as far away from NSRs as possible; and

¡P Use stockpiles of excavated materials and other structures such as site buildings effectively to screen noise from the works.

Operation Phase

Fixed Plant Noise ¡V Vehicle Repair / Testing Activities

5.8.10. The future operators should ensure that the vehicle repair / testing activities are carried out under the covered area of the proposed Project as the building itself provides noise screening to the NSRs.

5.8.11. As the ANL during night-time (2300 to 0700 hours next day) is more stringent than that of the day/ evening time (0700 to 2300 hours), the future operators should avoid carrying out vehicle repair / testing activities during night-time as far as practicable.

Fixed Plant Noise ¡V MVAC equipment and other fixed noise sources

5.8.12. With reference to ¡§Good Practices on Ventilation System Noise Control¡¨ (GP-VS), acoustic treatments, such as acoustic louvres, silencers and enclosures, could be applied to achieve noise attenuation. Prior to the operation phase of the proposed Project, as part of the design process, commissioning test should be conducted to ensure the fixed plant noise shall comply with relevant noise criteria and such requirement should be included in the tender document and/or specification.

5.8.13. A regular plant maintenance programme should be developed and implemented so that equipment is properly operated and serviced in order to maintain a controlled level of noise. The programme should be implemented by trained personnel.

Road Traffic Noise

5.8.14. The assessment results demonstrate that with the low level of traffic generation from the proposed Project, operation of the proposed Project will have no significant contribution to road traffic noise impact on the NSRs. No mitigation measure is needed for the road traffic noise.

5.9. Assessment of Noise Impact with the Application of Mitigation Measures

Construction Phase

5.9.1. Construction noise calculation was carried out with the incorporation of different noise mitigation measures as discussed in Section 5.8, as far as practicable according to the actual construction condition and limitation.

5.9.2. Table 5.15 and Table 5.16 summarise the predicted construction noise levels due to the Project only and cumulative construction noise levels at NAPs under mitigated scenario respectively. The detailed calculations are shown in Appendix 5.8.

Table 5.15 Predicted Construction Noise Levels at Representative NAPs under Mitigated Scenario due to the Project Only

NAP ID	Description	ANL, dB(A)	Predicted Maximum Construction Noise Level, dB(A)
			Site Formation, Excavation and Filling	Foundation	Main Building Construction
NAP 101	Heng Fa Chuen Block 50	75	62	58	58
NAP 201	Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan) - Academic Block	70/ 65 ^[1]	69	65	65
NAP 202			55	50	50
NAP 301	Knight Court Flat C & D	75	58	54	54
NAP 401	Tsui Shou House, Tsui Wan Estate	75	62	58	58
NAP 501	Endeavourers Chan Cheng Kit Wan Kindergarten	70 ^[2]	62	58	58
NAP 601	Tsui Fuk House, Tsui Wan Estate	75	61	57	57
NAP 701	Tsui Hong House, Tsui Wan Estate	75	61	57	57
NAP 801	Planned THEi New Campus (i.e. Classrooms from 5/F onwards)	70/ 65 ^[1]	66	62	62
NAP 802			54	50	50

Notes:

[1] Construction noise criteria for schools are 70 dB(A) at normal school days and 65 dB(A) during examination periods.

[2] No examinations will be scheduled at Endeavourers Chan Cheng Kit Wan Kindergarten and only construction noise standards for school at normal school days wasonly construction noise standards for school at normal school days were applied.

[3] Noise levels exceeding the construction noise standards are bolded.

Table 5.16 Predicted Cumulative Construction Noise Level at Representative NAPs under Mitigated Scenario

NAP ID	Description	ANL, dB(A)	Predicted Maximum Construction Noise Level, dB(A)
NAP 101	Heng Fa Chuen Block 50	75	64
NAP 201	Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan) - Academic Block	70/65 ^[1]	71
NAP 202			58
NAP 301	Knight Court Flat C & D	75	66
NAP 401	Tsui Shou House, Tsui Wan Estate	75	72
NAP 501	Endeavourers Chan Cheng Kit Wan Kindergarten	70 ^[2]	71
NAP 601	Tsui Fuk House, Tsui Wan Estate	75	67
NAP 701	Tsui Hong House, Tsui Wan Estate	75	73
NAP 801	Planned THEi New Campus (i.e. Classrooms from 5/F onwards)	N/A ^[3]
NAP 802

Notes:

[1] Construction noise standards for schools are 70 dB(A) at normal school days and 65 dB(A) during examination periods.

[2] No examinations will be scheduled at Endeavourers Chan Cheng Kit Wan Kindergarten and only construction noise standards for school at normal school days will be applied.

[3] Planned THEi New Campus is the concurrent project under construction and thus no cumulative construction noise level applied.

[4] Noise levels exceeding the construction noise standards are bolded.

5.9.3. In view of the results shown in Table 5.15 and Table 5.16, the predicted construction noise levels with mitigation measures at the representative NSRs, except NSR 2, shall comply with the construction noise standards including the criterion during examination period.

5.9.4. The predicted construction noise levels at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan) (NAP 201) comply with the corresponding construction noise criterion during normal school days but exceedance is expected during examination period when the criterion will be 65 dB(A), when site formation, excavation and filling works take place in July 2016. According to the examination schedule provided by the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan), the duration of the exceedance was 7 days. In this connection, the Contractor should keep close liaison with the nearby educational institutions to obtain the examination schedule and should control noise from their construction works such as avoiding concurrent operation of noisy PME, and /or reduction in the percentage on-time of PME during school examination periods. A Construction Noise Management Plan shall be provided by the Contractor before commencement of the construction to avoid noise exceedance.

5.9.5. Noise mitigation measures as proposed in Section 5.8 are recommended to be implemented as far as practicable in order to minimise the potential construction noise impact associated with the proposed project.

Operation Phase

Fixed Plant Noise

5.9.6. With the MVAC and other fixed noise sources properly selected with mitigation measures where necessary to meet the maximum allowable SWLs, no adverse fixed noise impact is anticipated.

Road Traffic Noise

5.9.7. The assessment results demonstrate that with the low level of traffic generation from the proposed Project, operation of the proposed Project will have no significant contribution to road traffic noise impact on the NSRs. No mitigation measure is necessary.

5.10. Residual Impact

Construction Phase

5.10.1. As mentioned in Section 5.3.5 and 5.3.6, although the nearby educational institutions are provided with A/Cs for ventilation, there will be a possibility that the abovementioned schools to rely on opened windows for ventilation. Exceedance is expected during examination period when the noise criteria will be 65 dB(A), when site formation, excavation and filling works take place in July 2016. According to the examination schedule provided by the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan), the duration of the exceedance will be around 7 days. In this connection, the Contractor should keep close liaison with the nearby educational institutions to obtain the examination schedule and should control noise from their construction works such as avoiding concurrent operation of noisy PME, and /or reduction in the percentage on-time of PME during school examination periods. A Construction Noise Management Plan shall be provided by the Contractor before commencement of the construction to avoid noise exceedance.

Operation Phase

5.10.2. With the MVAC and other fixed noise sources properly selected with mitigation measures where necessary to meet the maximum allowable SWLs, no adverse fixed noise impact is anticipated.

5.10.3. The assessment results demonstrate that with the low level of traffic generation from the proposed Project, operation of the proposed Project will have no significant contribution to road traffic noise impact on the NSRs. No mitigation measure is necessary.

5.11. Environmental Monitoring and Audit

Construction Phase

5.11.1. Noise monitoring at the nearby NSRs during the construction phase of the proposed Project is recommended. Environmental monitoring and audit (EM&A) programme is proposed to be established to ensure the implementation of mitigation measures as well as a noise complaint handling mechanism. Details of the programme are provided in a stand-a-lone EM&A Manual.

Operation Phase

5.11.2. With the implementation of the recommended noise mitigation measures and use of a set of specified maximum SWLs for the MVAC equipment and other fixed noise sources, no adverse impact is expected during the operation phase. Noise monitoring during the operation phase of the proposed Project is considered not necessary.

5.12. Conclusion

Construction Phase

5.12.1. With the implementation of the recommended mitigation measures such as the use of QPME, limiting the number of construction plants operating concurrently, using movable noise barriers and adopting good site practices, adverse construction noise impact is not anticipated except at NSR 2. As it is close to the site, NSR 2 is predicted to expose to construction noise exceeding the relevant noise standard during examination period when site formation, excavation and filling works take place in mid-2016. The duration of the exceedance is expected to be around 7 days. It is recommended that more detailed construction planning, which includes the arrangement on work sequence and plant locations, etc. before actual construction work is undertaken by the Contractor, and practicable noise mitigation measures should be implemented according to the actual site condition and constraints, in order to reduce the construction noise impact. In this connection, the Contractor should keep close liaison with the nearby educational institutions to obtain the examination schedule and should control noise from their construction works such as avoiding concurrent operation of noisy PME, and /or reduction in the percentage on-time of PME during school examination periods. A Construction Noise Management Plan shall be provided by the Contractor before commencement of the construction to avoid noise exceedance.

5.12.2. Environmental monitoring and auditing procedures are recommended in EM&A Manual to ensure the implementation of construction noise mitigation measures as well as to establish a noise complaint handling mechanism.

Operation Phase

5.12.3. With the implementation of the mitigation measures for vehicle repair / testing activities (such as vehicle repair / testing activities to be carried out under the covered area during daytime and evening as far as possible) and the MVAC and other fixed noise sources properly selected with mitigation measures where necessary to meet the maximum allowable SWLs, adverse fixed noise impact on the NSRs is not anticipated during operation phase.

5.12.4. A comparison of the noise levels for the ¡§with project¡¨ and ¡§without project¡¨ scenarios predicted for year 2033 (i.e. the worst case scenarios) indicated that traffic noise contribution from the road traffic generated by the proposed Project will be insignificant. Therefore, operation of the proposed Project will have no significant contribution to road traffic noise impact on the nearby NSRs.