Construction Noise Risk Assessment Model Focusing on Construction Equipment

Abstract

Environmental issues are becoming a growing concern for the construction sector and cause a number of complaints. Construction noise is one of the most prevalent stressors to the public, especially for residents near worksites. Many academic and practical studies have been conducted to address such noise-related problems. However, conventional approaches typically focus on monitoring noise and experts’ judgment; they are limited at evaluating the degree of risk caused by noise. This paper proposes a model for determining the noise-induced risk, with the severity based on the predicted noise level from a Monte Carlo simulation and the occurrence probability of the noise exceeding a certain limit. Case studies were conducted to confirm the applicability of the model. The results indicate the crucial period that needs to be carefully managed, which is more applicable to determining the noise-induced risk compared to existing approaches. This paper contributes to the literature for noise management by presenting a method for evaluating the impact of noise-related risk and providing a pragmatic alternative to supplement existing approaches during the preconstruction phase.