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L w FAIRVIEw BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND STREET IMPROVEMENTS INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION <br />`J' (9TH STREET TO 16TH STREET) PROJECT <br />MAY 2020 <br />SANTA ANAL CALIFORNIA <br />Typical noise levels at 50 ft from an active construction area range up to 88 dBA Lmax during the <br />noisiest construction phases. The site preparation phase, which includes grading and paving, <br />tends to generate the highest noise levels because the noisiest construction equipment is <br />earthmoving equipment. Earthmoving equipment includes excavating machinery (e.g., <br />backfillers, bulldozers, and front loaders). Earthmoving and compacting equipment includes <br />compactors, scrapers, and graders. Typical operating cycles for these types of construction <br />equipment may involve 1 or 2 minutes of full -power operation followed by 3 or 4 minutes at <br />lower power settings. <br />Construction of the proposed Project is expected to require the use of graders, bulldozers, and <br />water trucks/pickup trucks. Noise associated with the use of construction equipment is <br />estimated to be between 55 and 85 dBA Lmax at a distance of 50 ft from the active construction <br />area for the grading phase. As seen in Table 3.13.C, the maximum noise level generated by each <br />grader is assumed to be approximately 85 dBA Lmax at 50 ft from the grader in operation. <br />Each bulldozer would generate approximately 85 dBA Lmax at 50 ft. The maximum noise level <br />generated by water trucks/pickup trucks is estimated to be approximately 55 dBA Lmax at <br />50 ft from these vehicles. <br />Each doubling of the sound source with equal strength increases the noise level by 3 dBA. Each <br />piece of construction equipment operates as an individual point source. The worst -case <br />composite noise level at the nearest residence during this phase of construction would be <br />88 dBA Lmax at a distance of 50 ft from an active construction area. Based on a usage factor of 40 <br />percent, the worst -case combined noise level during this phase of construction would be 84 dBA <br />Leq at a distance of 50 ft from the active construction area. <br />The closest residences are located approximately 50 ft from the Project construction areas. <br />Therefore, the closest residences may be subject to short-term noise reaching 88 dBA Lmax <br />generated by construction activities in the Project area. As identified above, construction noise <br />is exempt from noise standards in the City's Municipal Code, but construction activities are <br />limited to daytime periods—i.e., no construction activities between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and <br />7:00 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, or at any time on Sundays and federal holidays.50 The <br />Project is also subject to Caltrans Standard Specifications or Greenbook (2018 or most current) <br />equivalent specifications because the Project would utilize federal transportation funding. <br />In addition to adherence to the City's Municipal Code construction activity time limits, standard <br />noise controls are required to be implemented to avoid potentially significant construction noise <br />impacts to adjacent residences. These controls include maintaining mufflers on equipment, <br />directing stationary noise away from the nearest receptors, and staging equipment as far as <br />possible from receptors. These controls, as well as compliance with the City's Municipal Code <br />hour restrictions, are included in Mitigation Measure N0I-1. Therefore, with implementation of <br />Mitigation Measure N0I-1, short-term noise impacts related to construction of the proposed <br />Project would be less than significant. <br />50 City of Santa Ana. 2019b. op. cit. <br />3-80 R:\WKE1702\ISMND\Final ISMND\Fairview Street Bridge Final ISMND.docx (05/26/20) <br />