Case Study

Evergreen Line Skytrain Extension

Year Completed

2016

Capital Cost

$1.4 billion

About This Project

Stretching from Coquitlam to Burnaby, the Evergreen Line opened in December 2016. It’s the latest extension to Metro Vancouver’s SkyTrain system, the longest fully-automated, driverless rapid-transit system in the world.

The Evergreen Line includes seven stations and 11 kilometres of track—with underground, ground level, and raised sections. The extension connects to the existing Millennium Line, so residents of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody can travel to downtown Vancouver without having to transfer. This easy connection, combined with the frequency of the trains—running every three minutes during peak hours—makes Evergreen a fast and convenient public transit option, something planners hope will take as many as 40,000 cars off the road by 2021.

Scope of services

BKL joined the project in 2008, and the firm’s first task was to establish baseline noise and vibration levels along the alignment and conduct a noise and vibration impact assessment as part of the project’s application for an environmental assessment certificate. BKL designed a thorough baseline monitoring program that included 48-hour community noise monitoring at 22 locations along the alignment and short-term vibration monitoring at another five locations. BKL also performed detailed measurements of SkyTrain noise and vibration along the operational Millennium Line to define source-specific factors such as guideway structure reflection and shielding effects and guideway noise barrier performance at different heights. BKL’s next step was developing a comprehensive noise and vibration prediction model for the project.

Using preliminary design information, road and rail traffic forecasts, proposed construction methods, and data gathered during the baseline and SkyTrain monitoring programs, BKL built a 3-D computer model to develop noise maps at the first two rows of housing along the entire 11 kilometre extension, an area that includes 1,044 dwellings.

BKL developed noise maps along the 11 kilometre extension—including 1,044 dwellings.

The model applied best practice standards to predict how noise levels would change during the construction and operations phases. It also showed which residences would likely be affected by construction noise and/or operational noise from the trains and stations.

Additionally, BKL developed a vibration-prediction model covering more than 600 buildings. This model mapped areas where construction activities (e.g., tunnel boring) and SkyTrain traffic had the potential to create significant impacts.

With the possible noise and vibration trouble-spots identified, BKL worked closely with the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and its private sector partners to develop requirements for cost-effective SkyTrain-specific mitigation options, and modelled each option to show its benefits and limitations.

BKL participated in extensive open-house consultation and, throughout the duration of the environmental assessment, responded to inquiries from reviewing agencies and the public. BKL’s report was prepared to Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) standards. BKL also developed acoustical performance specifications for the trains, stations, and ancillary equipment to improve comfort and communication for the passengers while avoiding creating additional community noise impacts.

During construction, BKL provided advice on an as-needed basis to mitigate construction noise impacts.

Once construction was complete, BKL carried out a post-construction monitoring program to check operational noise and vibration levels. It included 72-hour noise monitoring at 30 locations in the community and short-term vibration monitoring at another eight locations. BKL compared these noise levels against thresholds defined in the project’s environmental assessment certificate table of commitments.

Project benefits

BKL’s contributions to the project were recognized by R. Scott Hanna, who was Senior Environment Manager for the project’s environmental assessment. Hanna said the following: “During the planning stage of the Evergreen Line Rapid Transit Project, BKL was instrumental in determining ambient noise conditions along the proposed alignment, assessing potential noise and vibration impacts of the project and developing workable and cost-effective mitigation measures, as part of the environmental impact assessment (EIA). Their work was completed to a high professional standard, and was delivered on time and within budget.”

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.