Noise Feasibility Study

EMGO (North Oakville I) Ltd.,

Town of Oakville, Ontario

For

Emgo (North Oakville I) Ltd. 2173 Turnberry Road

Burlington, ON L7M 4P8

Prepared by

________________________________ Victor Garcia, BASc

Reviewed by

________________________________ Sheeba Paul, MEng, PEng

October 30, 2012

CONTENTS

1  INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY .............................................................................................................. 1 

2  SITE DESCRIPTION AND NOISE SOURCES ............................................................................................. 2 

3  NOISE LEVEL CRITERIA .............................................................................................................................. 2 

4  TRAFFIC NOISE PREDICTIONS .................................................................................................................. 4 

4.1  ROAD TRAFFIC DATA ....................................................................................................................................... 4 4.2  ROAD TRAFFIC NOISE PREDICTIONS ................................................................................................................ 5 

5  DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................ 6 

5.1  OUTDOOR LIVING AREAS ................................................................................................................................. 6 5.2  INDOOR LIVING AREAS .................................................................................................................................... 7 5.3  BUILDING FACADE CONSTRUCTIONS ............................................................................................................... 8 5.4  WARNING CLAUSES ......................................................................................................................................... 9 

6  SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................... 10 

6.1  IMPLEMENTATION .......................................................................................................................................... 11  Figure 1 – Key Plan Figure 2 – Proposed Draft Site Plan Showing Prediction Locations Figure 3 – Draft Plan Showing Ventilation and Acoustic Barrier Requirements Appendix A – Road Traffic Data Appendix B – Sample STAMSON 5.04 Output

Noise Feasibility Study Page 1 EMGO (North Oakville I) Ltd., Oakville, Ontario October 30, 2012 1 INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY

HGC Engineering was retained by Emgo (North Oakville I) Ltd. to conduct a noise feasibility

study for their proposed residential development to be located on the east side of Sixth Line

between Burnhamthorpe Road East and Dundas Street West in the Town of Oakville, Ontario. The

development will include residential dwellings, Neighbourhood Centre areas, a village square and a

portion of a neighbourhood park and associated roadways. The study is required by the

municipality as part of their planning and approvals process. The primary noise source is road

traffic on Sixth Line with a secondary noise source of road traffic on Burnhamthorpe Road East

located to the north.

Road traffic data for Sixth Line and Burnhamthorpe Road was obtained from the Town of Oakville.

The data was used to predict future traffic sound levels at various façades of the development and

in the outdoor amenity areas. The predicted sound levels were compared to the guidelines of the

Ministry of Environment (MOE).

The sound level predictions indicate that the future road traffic sound levels will exceed MOE

guidelines at blocks closest to Sixth Line. Central air conditioning will be required for the blocks

with direct fronting or flanking exposure to Sixth Line to satisfy MOE ventilation requirements.

For blocks in the second row of dwellings with backing exposure to Sixth Line, forced air heating

with the provision for the future installation of air conditioning by the occupant is required.

Upgraded building constructions and glazing constructions will be required on blocks fronting and

flanking onto Sixth Line. The MOE guidelines recommend that warning clauses be used to inform

future residents of the traffic noise impacts and sound level excesses.

Noise Feasibility Study Page 2 EMGO (North Oakville I) Ltd., Oakville, Ontario October 30, 2012 2 SITE DESCRIPTION AND NOISE SOURCES

Figure 1 is a key plan of the subdivision. The development is located between Burnhamthorpe

Road East and Dundas Street West in the Town of Oakville, Ontario. Figure 2 is a draft plan

prepared by Emgo (North Oakville I) Ltd. dated June 8, 2012.

The proposed development will consist 54 General Urban residential blocks, 5 Neighbourhood

Centre blocks, a village square and a portion of a neighbourhood park and associated roadways.

For the purposes of this report, dwellings on the general urban residential blocks are assumed to be

2-storey single detached, and the neighbourhood centre blocks are assumed to include commercial

on the first level with 2-storey residential units above.

HGC Engineering personnel visited the site in the month of September 2012. The primary noise

source is Sixth Line with a secondary noise source being Old Burnhamthorpe. As indicated on

aerial photos and the draft plan provided the surrounding land is proposed residential. The subject

lands are currently agricultural with residential lands south of Dundas Street East. There are no

stationary noise sources within 500 m of the proposed site.

3 NOISE LEVEL CRITERIA

Guidelines for acceptable levels of road traffic noise impacting residential developments are given

in the MOE publication LU-131 “Noise Assessment Criteria in Land Use Planning”, its Annex and

its accompanying document “Requirements, Procedures and Implementation, 1997” and are listed

in Table I below. The values in Table I are energy equivalent (average) sound levels [LEQ] in units

of A-weighted decibels [dBA].

Noise Feasibility Study Page 3 EMGO (North Oakville I) Ltd., Oakville, Ontario October 30, 2012

Table I: MOE Road Traffic Noise Criteria (dBA)

Area Daytime LEQ (16 hour) Nighttime LEQ (8 hour)

Outside Bedroom Windows -- 50 dBA

Outdoor Living Area 55 dBA --

Inside Living/Dining Rooms 45 dBA --

Inside Bedrooms -- 40 dBA

Daytime refers to the period between 07:00 and 23:00, while nighttime refers to the period between

23:00 and 07:00. The term "Outdoor Living Area" (OLA) is used in reference to an outdoor patio,

a backyard, a terrace or other area where passive recreation is expected to occur. Balconies that are

less than 4 m in depth are not considered to be outdoor living areas under MOE guidelines.

The guidelines in the MOE publication allow the sound level in an Outdoor Living Area to be

exceeded by up to 5 dBA, without mitigation, if warning clauses are placed in the purchase and

rental agreements to the property. Where OLA sound levels exceed 60 dBA, physical mitigation is

required to reduce the OLA sound level to below 60 dBA and as close to 55 dBA as technically,

economically and administratively feasible. The Town of Oakville maximum acoustic fence height

is 2.4 m based on the Development Engineering Procedures and Guidelines Manual dated October

2009.

A central air conditioning system as an alternative means of ventilation to open windows is

required for dwellings where nighttime sound levels outside bedroom windows exceed 60 dBA or

daytime sound levels outside living room windows exceed 65 dBA. Forced-air ventilation with

ducts sized to accommodate the future installation of air conditioning is required when nighttime

sound levels at bedroom windows are in the range of 51 to 60 dBA or when daytime sound levels at

living room windows are in the range of 56 to 65 dBA.

Noise Feasibility Study Page 4 EMGO (North Oakville I) Ltd., Oakville, Ontario October 30, 2012 Building components such as walls, windows and doors must be designed to achieve indoor sound

level criteria when the plane of bedroom window sound level is greater than 60 dBA or the daytime

sound level is greater than 65 dBA due to road traffic noise.

Warning clauses are required to notify future residents of possible excesses are also required when

nighttime sound levels exceed 50 dBA at the plane of the bedroom window and daytime sound

levels exceed 55 dBA in the outdoor living area and at the plane of the living room window due to

road and rail traffic.

4 TRAFFIC NOISE PREDICTIONS

4.1 Road Traffic Data

Road traffic data for Sixth Line was obtained from the Town of Oakville in the form of 2031 future

peak hour volumes, and is provided in Appendix A. A commercial vehicle percentage for Sixth

Line was not available thus 13% was assumed as a conservative estimate and was split into 8%

medium trucks and 5% heavy trucks as per MTO guidelines. A day/night split of 90%/10% was

used in the analysis. A speed limit of 50 km/h was used for Sixth Line.

Road traffic data for Burnhamthorpe Road was obtained from the Town of Oakville in the form of

2031 future peak hour volumes, and is provided in Appendix A. A commercial vehicle percentage

was not provided; as such 13% was assumed as a conservative estimate and split into 8% medium

trucks and 5% heavy trucks as per MTO guidelines. A day/night split of 90%/10% was used in the

analysis. A speed limit of 50 km/h was used for Burnhamthorpe Road. Table II summarizes the

traffic volume data used in this study.

Noise Feasibility Study Page 5 EMGO (North Oakville I) Ltd., Oakville, Ontario October 30, 2012

Table II: 2031 Projected Road Traffic Data

Road Name Cars Medium Trucks

Heavy Trucks

Total

Sixth Line Daytime 12 826 1 179 737 14 742 Nighttime 1 425 131 82 1 638 Total 14 251 1 310 819 16 380

Burnhamthorpe Road

Daytime 9 302 855 535 10 692 Nighttime 1 034 95 59 1 188 Total 10 336 950 594 11 880

4.2 Road Traffic Noise Predictions

To assess the levels of road traffic noise which will impact the site in the future, predictions were

made using STAMSON version 5.04, a computer algorithm developed by the MOE. Sample

STAMSON output is included in Appendix B.

Predictions of the traffic sound levels were made at various locations at the development as shown

on Figure 2. The results of these predictions are summarized in Table III. These results are based

on the latest draft plan prepared by Emgo (North Oakville I) Ltd. dated June 8, 2012. The acoustic

requirements may be subject to modifications if the site plan is changed significantly.

Sound levels were predicted in the plane of the 2nd windows during daytime and nighttime hours

to investigate ventilation and building façade construction requirements. Sound levels were also

predicted in the rear yards to investigate the need for noise barriers. The dwelling for the analysis

were conservatively assumed to be 7 m front yard, 7 m rear yard, 4.5 exterior side yard and 1.2 m

interior yard.

Noise Feasibility Study Page 6 EMGO (North Oakville I) Ltd., Oakville, Ontario October 30, 2012

Table III: Predicted Future Road Sound Levels, [dBA]

Prediction Location

Description Daytime –

in OLA LEQ(16)

Daytime – at Façade

LEQ(16)

Nighttime – at Facade

LEQ(8)

[A] General Urban lots with fronting exposure to Sixth Line – first row+ 57 67 60

[B] Neighbourhood Centre lots with flanking exposure to Sixth Line 65 68 61

[C] General Urban lots with backing exposure to Sixth Line – second row+

57 57 51

Note: +Assuming a 60% linear density

5 DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The predictions indicate that the future traffic sound levels will exceed MOE guidelines at the lots

closest to Sixth Line. Recommendations to address these excesses are discussed below.

5.1 Outdoor Living Areas The predicted daytime sound levels in the OLA’s of the lots with fronting or backing exposure onto

Sixth Line (prediction locations [A] and [C]) will be 57 dBA. The 2 dBA sound level excess is

acceptable to the MOE with the use of a noise warning clause. Further physical mitigation in the

form of acoustic barriers will not be required, since shielding of the OLAs from road traffic noise is

provided by the dwelling units themselves.

Typical neighbourhood centre lots (prediction location [B]) do not have outdoor amenity areas.

Balconies may be provided for the dwelling units that are less than 4 metres in depth (which are

exempt from the definition of OLA under MOE guidelines). In these cases, further physical

mitigation in the form of acoustic barriers will not be required. However if the dwellings are not

live/work units, sound levels are predicted to be 65 dBA in the rear yard amenity area. An acoustic

barrier 2.0 m height will reduce sound levels to 59 dBA. The 4 dBA sound level excess is

acceptable to the MOE with the use of a noise warning clause.

Noise Feasibility Study Page 7 EMGO (North Oakville I) Ltd., Oakville, Ontario October 30, 2012 As a general note, if a barrier is used as a noise control measure, its height must be such that the

line of sight between the source and the receiver is obstructed. It is required that the surface density

of the noise barrier be a minimum of 20 kg/m2. It is further required that the barrier be designed

and constructed without cracks or gaps. Any gaps under the noise barrier that are necessary for

drainage purposes must be minimized and localized, and must not deteriorate the acoustical

performance.

5.2 Indoor Living Areas Air Conditioning

The predicted future sound levels outside the plane of the bedroom windows of the blocks directly

fronting or flanking onto Sixth Line (prediction locations [A] and [B]) in the proposed development

are greater than 60 dBA at the bedroom window and greater than 65 dBA during the daytime.

Central air conditioning systems are required so that windows may remain closed. The location,

installation and sound ratings of the outdoor air conditioning devices should minimize noise

impacts and comply with criteria of MOE publication NPC-216, Residential Air Conditioning

Devices. Figure 3 shows blocks requiring air conditioning.

Provision for the Future Installation of Air Conditioning

The predicted nighttime sound levels at the plane of the bedroom windows of the second row of

blocks (prediction location [C]) are between 51 and 60 dBA during the night and between 56 dBA

and 65 dBA during the day. To address these excesses, the MOE guidelines recommend that these

dwelling units be equipped with a forced air ventilation systems with ducts sized to accommodate

the future installation of air conditioning by the occupant. The guidelines also recommend warning

clauses for these lots. Window or through-the-wall air conditioning units are not recommended for

any residential units because of the noise they produce and because the units penetrate through the

exterior wall which degrades the overall noise insulating properties of the envelope. The location,

installation and sound ratings of the outdoor air conditioning devices should minimize noise

Noise Feasibility Study Page 8 EMGO (North Oakville I) Ltd., Oakville, Ontario October 30, 2012 impacts and comply with criteria of MOE publication NPC-216, Residential Air Conditioning

Devices. Blocks requiring forced air heating are shown on Figure 3.

For the remaining blocks in the development, there are no specific ventilation requirements.

5.3 Building Facade Constructions Future road traffic sound levels at the east façade with direct exposure to Sixth Line will exceed

60 dBA at night and 65 dBA during the daytime. MOE guidelines recommend that the windows,

walls and doors be designed so that the indoor sound levels comply with MOE noise criteria.

The required building components are selected based on the AIF value for road traffic. To do so,

calculations were performed to determine the acoustical insulation factors to maintain indoor sound

levels within MOE guidelines. The calculation methods were developed by the National Research

Council (NRC). They are based on the predicted future sound levels at the building facades, and the

anticipated area ratios of the facade components (walls, windows and doors) and the floor area of

the adjacent room. AIF values are given in Table IV for each of the façades based on the

possibility of sound entering the building through walls, windows and doors.

Table IV: Summary of AIF Requirements

Façade AIF Requirements LR/BR

[A] – Fronting onto Sixth Line AIF-29/AIF-27 [B] – Flanking onto Sixth Line AIF-30/AIF-28 [C] – Backing onto Sixth Line OBC

As an example, for the units fronting onto Sixth Line, windows with an STC rating of 30 will

provide sufficient sound insulation for the bedrooms as longs as the windows to floor area ratio

does not exceed 80% for the living/dining room and 100% for bedrooms. An acoustical consultant

should review the floor plans for the dwelling units for the dwelling units to specify wall and

Noise Feasibility Study Page 9 EMGO (North Oakville I) Ltd., Oakville, Ontario October 30, 2012 window types with sufficient acoustical insulation for the indoor spaces based on actual window to

floor area ratios.

5.4 Warning Clauses The MOE guidelines recommend that warning clauses be included in the property and tenancy

agreements for all lots with anticipated traffic sound level excesses. Examples are provided below.

Suggested wording for future dwellings with sound level excesses the MOE criteria is given below:

Type A:

Purchasers/tenants are advised that sound levels due to increasing road traffic may occasionally interfere with some activities of the dwelling occupants as the sound levels exceed the Municipality’s and the Ministry of the Environment’s noise criteria.

Suggested wording for future dwellings with daytime OLA sound levels exceeding the MOE

criteria by 6 dB or more, for which physical mitigation has been provided is given below.

Type B: Purchasers/tenants are advised that despite the inclusion of noise control features in the development and within the building units, sound levels due to increasing road traffic may occasionally interfere with some activities of the dwelling occupants as the sound levels exceed the City’s and the Ministry of the Environment’s noise criteria.

Suitable wording for future dwellings requiring forced air ventilation systems is given below.

Type C:

This dwelling unit has been fitted with a forced air heating system and the ducting etc., was sized to accommodate central air conditioning. Installation of central air conditioning will allow windows and exterior doors to remain closed, thereby ensuring that the indoor sound levels are within the Municipality’s and the Ministry of the Environment’s noise criteria. (Note: The location and installation of the outdoor air conditioning device should be done so as to minimize the noise impacts and comply with criteria of MOE publication NPC-216, Residential Air Conditioning Devices.)

Noise Feasibility Study Page 10 EMGO (North Oakville I) Ltd., Oakville, Ontario October 30, 2012 Suitable wording for future dwellings requiring central air conditioning systems is given below.

Type D:

This dwelling unit has been supplied with a central air conditioning system which allows windows and exterior doors to remain closed, thereby ensuring that the indoor sound levels are within the noise criteria of the Municipality and the Ministry of the Environment.

Suitable wording for dwellings on or near lots near proposed for neighbourhood centre.

Type E:

Purchasers are advised that due to the proximity of the adjacent commercial lands, sound levels from these facilities may at times be audible.

These sample clauses are provided by the MOE as examples and can be modified by the Municipality

as required.

6 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

The results of the study indicate that the proposed residential development is feasible. Future road

traffic sound levels in some areas will exceed MOE guidelines, but feasible means exist to reduce

the impact to within acceptable limits.

The following list and Table V summarizes the recommendations made in this report.

1. Blocks directly fronting or flanking onto Sixth Line will require central air conditioning. Blocks

in the second row of homes will require forced air heating with the provision for the future

installation of air conditioning by the resident. Lots further away from the main road do not

have any specific ventilation requirements.

2. If dwellings on the blocks flanking sixth line are not live/work units an acoustic barrier 2.0 m in

height will be required to reduce the sound level in the rear yard OLA.

3. Upgraded building and glazing constructions will be required for lots directly fronting or

Noise Feasibility Study Page 11 EMGO (North Oakville I) Ltd., Oakville, Ontario October 30, 2012

flanking onto Sixth Line.

4. Dwellings with exposure to Sixth Line will require noise warning clauses.

Table V: Summary of Noise Control Requirements and Noise Warning Clauses

Block No. Description Acoustic Barrier

Type of Warning Clause

Required AIF for LR/BR

21, 40, 41 [A] Blocks fronting onto Sixth Line -- A, D LR: AIF-29 BR: AIF-27

1, 11, 22 [B] Blocks flanking Sixth Line * A, B, D, E LR: AIF-30 BR: AIF-28

20, 23, 39, 42 [C] Blocks backing onto Sixth Line -- A, C LR: OBC BR: OBC

All other blocks -- -- LR: OBC BR: OBC

Notes: -- no specific requirement LR – Living/Dining/Family Rooms BR – Bedrooms OBC – meeting the minimum requirements of the Ontario Building Code * - If dwellings are not live/work

6.1 Implementation To ensure that the noise control recommendations outlined above are fully implemented, it is

recommended that:

1) When individual unit floor plans are available, a Professional Engineer qualified to

perform acoustical engineering services in the province of Ontario should determine

and/or refine the glazing constructions to meet the minimum requirements as specified

in the noise report.

2) Prior to the issuance of building permits for this development, it is recommended that

the City’s building department or a Professional Engineer qualified to perform

acoustical engineer services in the province of Ontario shall review the architectural

plans to certify that the noise control measures as recommended have been incorporated.

APPENDIX A

Road Traffic Data

69 (148)

157 (440)

142 (323)

159 (98)

293 (151)

83 (89)

411 (175)

523 (377)

36 (72)

235 (85)

443 (617)

56 (80)

BURNHAMTHORPE ROAD

SIX

TH

LINE

XX (XX) AM (PM)

FUTURE 2031 PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC VOLUMES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPENDIX B

Sample STAMSON 5.04 Output

STAMSON 5.0 NORMAL REPORT Date: 30-10-2012 09:14:08 MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY / NOISE ASSESSMENT Filename: a.te Time Period: Day/Night 16/8 hours Description: Lots fronting onto Sixth Line Road data, segment # 1: Sixth (day/night) ----------------------------------------- Car traffic volume : 12826/1425 veh/TimePeriod * Medium truck volume : 1179/131 veh/TimePeriod * Heavy truck volume : 737/82 veh/TimePeriod * Posted speed limit : 50 km/h Road gradient : 0 % Road pavement : 1 (Typical asphalt or concrete) * Refers to calculated road volumes based on the following input: 24 hr Traffic Volume (AADT or SADT): 16380 Percentage of Annual Growth : 0.00 Number of Years of Growth : 0.00 Medium Truck % of Total Volume : 8.00 Heavy Truck % of Total Volume : 5.00 Day (16 hrs) % of Total Volume : 90.00 Data for Segment # 1: Sixth (day/night) --------------------------------------- Angle1 Angle2 : -90.00 deg 90.00 deg Wood depth : 0 (No woods.) No of house rows : 0 / 0 Surface : 1 (Absorptive ground surface) Receiver source distance : 17.00 / 17.00 m Receiver height : 1.50 / 4.50 m Topography : 1 (Flat/gentle slope; no barrier) Reference angle : 0.00 Road data, segment # 2: Burnham (day/night) ------------------------------------------- Car traffic volume : 9302/1034 veh/TimePeriod * Medium truck volume : 855/95 veh/TimePeriod * Heavy truck volume : 535/59 veh/TimePeriod * Posted speed limit : 50 km/h Road gradient : 0 % Road pavement : 1 (Typical asphalt or concrete) * Refers to calculated road volumes based on the following input: 24 hr Traffic Volume (AADT or SADT): 11880 Percentage of Annual Growth : 0.00 Number of Years of Growth : 0.00 Medium Truck % of Total Volume : 8.00 Heavy Truck % of Total Volume : 5.00 Day (16 hrs) % of Total Volume : 90.00

Data for Segment # 2: Burnham (day/night) ----------------------------------------- Angle1 Angle2 : 0.00 deg 90.00 deg Wood depth : 0 (No woods.) No of house rows : 0 / 0 Surface : 1 (Absorptive ground surface) Receiver source distance : 400.00 / 400.00 m Receiver height : 1.50 / 4.50 m Topography : 1 (Flat/gentle slope; no barrier) Reference angle : 0.00 Results segment # 1: Sixth (day) -------------------------------- Source height = 1.50 m ROAD (0.00 + 66.52 + 0.00) = 66.52 dBA Angle1 Angle2 Alpha RefLeq P.Adj D.Adj F.Adj W.Adj H.Adj B.Adj SubLeq ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -90 90 0.66 68.88 0.00 -0.90 -1.46 0.00 0.00 0.00 66.52 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Segment Leq : 66.52 dBA Results segment # 2: Burnham (day) ---------------------------------- Source height = 1.50 m ROAD (0.00 + 39.35 + 0.00) = 39.35 dBA Angle1 Angle2 Alpha RefLeq P.Adj D.Adj F.Adj W.Adj H.Adj B.Adj SubLeq ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0 90 0.66 67.49 0.00 -23.67 -4.47 0.00 0.00 0.00 39.35 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Segment Leq : 39.35 dBA Total Leq All Segments: 66.53 dBA Results segment # 1: Sixth (night) ---------------------------------- Source height = 1.50 m ROAD (0.00 + 60.20 + 0.00) = 60.20 dBA

Angle1 Angle2 Alpha RefLeq P.Adj D.Adj F.Adj W.Adj H.Adj B.Adj SubLeq ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -90 90 0.57 62.35 0.00 -0.85 -1.30 0.00 0.00 0.00 60.20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Segment Leq : 60.20 dBA Results segment # 2: Burnham (night) ------------------------------------ Source height = 1.49 m ROAD (0.00 + 34.23 + 0.00) = 34.23 dBA Angle1 Angle2 Alpha RefLeq P.Adj D.Adj F.Adj W.Adj H.Adj B.Adj SubLeq ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0 90 0.57 60.94 0.00 -22.39 -4.31 0.00 0.00 0.00 34.23 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Segment Leq : 34.23 dBA Total Leq All Segments: 60.21 dBA TOTAL Leq FROM ALL SOURCES (DAY): 66.53 (NIGHT): 60.21