Bruckner Boulevard School Facility Noise Study

Background

During redevelopment of this turn of the century ice factory into a charter school facility, a noise E-Designation was required as part of New York City’s CEQR process. 

Challenge

The property is situated on a busy section of heavily traveled Bruckner Boulevard and is adjacent to an active aggregate storage yard, surroundings with significant noise levels. Additionally, construction had already commenced, and new facade materials and custom windows had been installed when the noise study was requested. Potential delays caused by the study or mitigation recommendations, if determined to be warranted, would threaten the project’s budget and tight completion schedule.

Solution

GZA noise specialists prepared a protocol and methodologies to collect readings to determine if the facade and new windows met the regulatory requirements of the E-Designation:  a minimum of 35 dB(A) window/wall attenuation for all building facades in order to maintain an interior noise level not greater than 45 dB(A), the standard applicable to residential and community facility uses. Readings would be collected for 12 daytime hours, reflecting the building’s new use as a school. The non-standard protocol suggested by GZA was approved by the NYC Office of Environmental Remediation (OER). The monitoring consisted of five interior 12-hour noise monitoring locations and one 1-hour spot check during each AM, Midday, and PM peak travel period located outside the building at street level. 

Monitoring results determined that the windows and facade met the requirements of the E-Designation. These findings were detailed in GZA’s Installation Report for Noise, which OER approved, and the project received its Notice to Proceed.
 

Benefit

GZA responded swiftly to develop a non-standard noise study protocol, pre-approved by OER, that was responsive to the regulatory requirements and the client’s ongoing construction needs.