Cleveland Dam Seepage Control Project

The Problem

In 1998, the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) commenced planning for a $115-million construction project to build a concrete “cut-off” wall within the east embankment of Capilano Reservoir in North Vancouver. The purpose was to reduce excessive leakage of water from the reservoir through the east abutment and around the dam itself. To accomplish this, the water level of the reservoir was reduced during the fall, winter and spring in 2001- 2002 to permit clearing and re-contouring of the east reservoir slope and construction of a 260m long clay blanket and sub-surface cut-off wall. Perhaps the greatest environmental impact associated with this major project was noise emission from off-highway haul trucks that were used to excavate approximately 300,000 cubic metres of soil.

The Approach

The haul route was an existing access road running 1.3 km along the east boundary of the watershed, immediately behind approximately 40 residences, some of which were as close as 10 m from the edge of the haul road. BKL Consultants was retained in the earliest stages of the project to evaluate and compare noise impacts for several alternative construction plans, to predict noise levels for the chosen option, to carry out baseline noise monitoring and to recommend noise mitigation measures. As the project progressed beyond the design stage, BKL assisted in preparing clauses in the construction contract to limit noise emission, participated in public information sessions and carried out an ongoing construction noise monitoring program involving 24-hour noise level measurements at affected residences.

The Solution

The most visible noise mitigation measure involved construction of a temporary 4.5m-high noise barrier along the entire length of the access road to reduce the inevitable noise impact due to trucks using the access road. The noise levels predicted by BKL, both on a daily cumulative basis and for individual truck pass-bys were adopted by the District of North Vancouver in a revision to its noise bylaw that was aimed specifically at the seepage control project. Noise monitoring by BKL throughout the project demonstrated that the actual levels from truck traffic agreed closely with predicted values with the result that there were no infractions of the noise bylaw. Thanks to the patience and understanding of local residents and careful attention to noise control by GVRD, an essential public works project was completed with the minimum possible noise impact and at an acceptable cost to taxpayers.

The People Behind Our Work

Our Technical Leads
Our Team

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.