Case Study

Port Noise Monitoring and Nuisance Management Plans

About This Project

With 29 major terminals and a network of transportation corridors, the Port of Vancouver, managed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA), is Canada’s largest port. It neighbours 16 municipalities and the territories of several First Nations, so it’s close to many residential areas.

In 2010, understanding the potential for Port operations noise to affect nearby communities, VFPA asked us to develop a noise management and monitoring plan. Their goal was to better understand Port noise, limit noise from routine operations, and avoid or mitigate other noise as much as possible.

Scope of Services

The project schedule was extremely condensed; the entire scope of work needed to be completed in under two months. To meet this schedule, we assigned three senior consultants to the project.

Working closely with the Port and other stakeholders, our acoustical team developed a comprehensive strategy that included an integrated noise monitoring and management plan that relied on a noise mapping strategy that has been successfully applied at ports in the EU.

We performed extensive in-person, telephone, and email interviews with VFPA tenants and CN Rail to better understand their considerations and constraints in managing noise. We met with representatives from VFPA’s Environmental Programs and Communications teams to ensure the plan addressed everyone’s concerns.

Project Benefits

We produced two deliverables: a noise monitoring plan and a noise and nuisance management plan.

The noise monitoring plan provided the Port with detailed guidance on how to perform noise monitoring and analysis, including management best practices for

responding to noise complaints,
assessing noise mitigation, and
preparing periodic reports.

The plan also contained information about permanent Noise Monitoring Terminals (NMTs), resident-operated monitors, and conducting attended and unattended measurements using a portable noise monitor.

The noise and nuisance management plan outlined proactive methods for managing noise and other nuisances to promote quality of life in nearby communities while optimizing growth at the Port. The plan recommended a proven approach that uses noise mapping, noise action planning, and noise management.

Noise mapping is an effective strategy because it facilitates an exchange of information among port stakeholders and the public while providing a framework to manage port noise, predict the effects of current port noise on future developments, and provide insights into how planned port expansions could affect existing communities.

By identifying principal noise sources and providing a visual reference, noise mapping also helps improve the noise complaint investigation process for all parties.

Moreover, our noise and nuisance management plan included a complaint resolution procedure, which addressed practical methods of investigating complaints related to noise or other nuisances.

Working on a tight schedule, we provided detailed and specific guidance to help the VFPA and its tenants manage Port noise, limit potentially adverse effects on surrounding communities, and engage with the public to seek positive outcomes.

Testimonial

“I have worked with BKL on a number of acoustic impact assessments and site-specific noise studies over the years and have found the BKL team to be very professional and innovative in their delivery of their services and the final acoustic reports.”

—Darrell Desjardin, former Director, Environmental Programs, Port of Vancouver

The People Behind Our Work

Our Technical Leads
Our Team

Mark Bliss

P.Eng., INCE

President

Mark Bliss, P.Eng., INCE

President

Mark Bliss is a professional engineer and member of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE), with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of British Columbia. He has practiced as an acoustical consultant since 2003.

Mark specializes in environmental noise and vibration assessment, with extensive experience evaluating transportation, industrial, construction, entertainment, commercial and other noise impacts. He has worked with all levels of government on noise policy and planning, and has appeared as an expert witness before the British Columbia Supreme Court and at municipal council hearings.

His work includes field measurement, noise modelling, mitigation assessment and detailed reporting, using national and international standards and specialized software such as Cadna/A. He has prepared Environmental Assessment Certificate applications to BCEAA, CEAA and IFC requirements, and has conducted third-party reviews and training in noise and vibration measurement and assessment.

Mark also has extensive experience in building acoustics, working on new construction and renovations to address environmental and mechanical noise, improve speech intelligibility and room acoustics, and achieve effective airborne and impact sound isolation. His work draws on CSA, ISO, ASTM, ANSI, WHO, Health Canada and other recognized standards and guidelines.
Gary Mak

P.Eng., PMP

Technical Director, Environmental Noise and Vibration

Gary Mak, P.Eng., PMP

Technical Director, Environmental Noise and Vibration

Gary Mak graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and joined BKL the same year. Gary has since worked in the areas of environmental noise assessments, mechanical/industrial noise control, and architectural acoustics.

Gary’s experience in architectural acoustics includes hospitals, educational facilities, performance spaces, offices, and operations buildings. His contributions to these projects include reviewing project acoustical requirements and building designs for partition sound isolation, room acoustics, mechanical noise control, and environmental noise control. For performance venues, Gary has experience working with more advanced techniques and parameters to assess and improve acoustical conditions for performers and audiences.

Performing noise and vibration impact assessments for transportation, construction, industrial, and commercial projects, Gary has established baseline noise conditions, predicted future noise environments, rated noise impacts, and determined mitigation measures to meet project criteria. In particular, he has worked on mines, terminals, rail, transit centres, district energy centres, and other industrial and transportation projects.

Gary is proficient in performing noise and vibration measurements with a variety of specialized equipment for investigations, bylaw assessments, room acoustics, and Sound Transmission Class (STC), and Impact Insulation Class (IIC) testing. He is also very familiar with using acoustical software including Cadna/A, Samurai, Insul, EASERA, and ODEON for impact analysis and design.
Brigette Martin

P.Eng., WELL AP

Technical Director, Sound and Vibration Measurements

Brigette Martin, P.Eng., WELL AP

Technical Director, Sound and Vibration Measurements

Brigette Martin graduated from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2009. Before joining BKL in 2015, Brigette worked as an acoustic consultant on various building and environmental projects throughout New Zealand and Australia.

Brigette has extensive experience with environmental noise including assessing noise impacts and designing noise mitigation for gas compressor and pump stations, power generation sites, port terminals, and transformers sites; modelling construction noise, and developing construction noise abatement and management plans; designing noise controls and preparing noise management plans for mines and quarries; and monitoring benchmark noise, developing 3-D noise models, and designing noise walls for road infrastructure projects.

In the area of building acoustics, Brigette has been involved in numerous projects and has consulted on sound insulation and mechanical services design, as well as controlling external noise intrusion and reverberation noise levels, and optimizing speech clarity for critical spaces.

Over her career, Brigette has gained experience with a wide range of technical equipment and software including Insul, SoundPLAN, Cadna/A, SONarchitect, Brüel & Kjær analyzers, and numerous other sound level meters.

Brigette has also developed and presented training courses for using acoustical software and sound level meters for acoustical engineers and clients throughout New Zealand and Australia.
Trevor Cheng

P.Eng., MIOA

Managing Specialist Acoustical Consultant

Trevor Cheng, P.Eng., MIOA

Managing Specialist Acoustical Consultant

Trevor Cheng holds a bachelor of applied science (engineering physics) from University of British Columbia and joined BKL in January 2016, with experience in environmental and architectural acoustics, as well as condition monitoring, and machine vibration analysis and diagnostics.

With BKL, Trevor has primarily been involved in transportation, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects. His work experience includes measuring baseline noise conditions, predicting future noise environments, assessing noise impact, and offering mitigation measures where appropriate.

Trevor also has experience in architectural acoustics, working on hospitals, performance spaces, and multipurpose buildings. He is proficient in measuring noise insulation performance, reviewing building designs, and predicting noise levels from HVAC equipment.

Prior to joining BKL, Trevor worked in London, UK, on a wide variety of projects ranging from large-scale architectural renovations to major airport improvement works. He has unique experience in measuring and assessing noise and vibration in buildings from underground rail sources.

He also has experience using sound level meters by Brüel & Kjær, Norsonic, and Larson Davis, and software tools such as Cadna/A. He is familiar with ASTC/AIIC testing and using acoustic software including Insul, SONarchitect, and EASE for indoor noise predictions.

Trevor is a member of the Institute of Acoustics (IOA) in the UK.