Appendix C Noise and Vibration Technical Report WILSON IHRIG & ASSOCIATES 6001 SHELLMOUND STREET SUITE 400 ACOUSTICAL AND VIBRATION CONSULTANTS EMERYVILLE, CA 94608 Tel: 510-658-6719 CALIFORNIA NEW YORK WASHINGTON Fax: 510-652-4441 www.wiai.com Caltrain Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project Noise and Vibration Technical Report Draft February 2014 Prepared for Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board Prepared by Wilson, Ihrig & Associates WILSON, IHRIG & ASSOCIATES Noise and Vibration Technical Report Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction 1-1 2 Project Description 2-1 2.1 Location and Limits 2-1 2.2 Background 2-1 2.3 Project Description 2-3 2.3.1 Overhead Contact System 2-4 2.3.2 Auto-Transformer Power Feed Arrangement 2-6 2.3.3 Traction Power Substations, Switching Stations, and Paralleling Stations 2-6 2.3.4 Overbridge Protection Structures 2-7 2.3.5 Grade Crossing Warning Devices 2-7 2.3.6 Rolling Stock 2-8 2.3.7 Caltrain Operating Scenario(s) Under Electrification 2-8 2.3.8 Construction 2-9 3 Noise and Vibration Descriptors 3-1 3.1 Noise 3-1 3.2 Groundborne Noise and Vibration 3-3 4 Noise and Vibration Impact Criteria 4-1 4.1 Noise Impact Criteria 4-1 4.2 Operation Vibration Criteria 4-4 4.2.1 Human Annoyance Criteria 4-4 4.2.2 Building Damage Criteria 4-6 4.3 Construction Noise and Vibration Criteria 4-6 4.4 Stationary Source Criteria 4-7 4.5 Local Regulations 4-8 4.5.1 Local Regulations - General Plan Noise Elements 4-8 4.5.2 Local Regulations - Municipal Codes 4-8 5 Existing Noise and Vibration Conditions 5-1 5.1 Field Measurements 5-1 5.1.1 Existing Ambient Noise 5-2 5.1.2 Existing Ambient Vibration 5-2 5.2 Description of Existing Environmental Settings 5-5 5.2.1 Existing Noise Setting 5-5 5.2.2 Existing Vibration Setting 5-10 5.3 Adjustments to the Measured Ambient Noise Levels 5-20 6 Noise and Vibration Prediction Methodology 6-1 6.1 Noise 6-1 6.1.1 Train Operations 6-1 6.1.2 Ancillary Facilities 6-9 6.1.3 Noise from Train Station 6-10 6.1.4 Construction 6-11 Caltrain Electrification Project February 2014 Page i WILSON, IHRIG & ASSOCIATES Noise and Vibration Technical Report Table of Contents 6.2 Groundborne Vibration 6-13 6.2.1 Train Operations 6-13 6.2.2 Construction 6-16 7 Noise and Vibration Impact Analysis 7-1 7.1 Operational Noise Impact Assessment 7-1 7.2 Operational Groundborne Vibration Impacts 7-9 7.3 Ancillary Facilities 7-11 7.4 Construction 7-15 7.4.1 Construction Noise 7-15 7.4.2 Construction Vibration 7-16 8 Cumulative Noise Analysis 8-1 9 Cumulative Vibration Analysis 9-1 10 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) Alternative Analysis 10-1 11 Noise and Vibration Control Measures 11-1 11.1 Noise Control Measures for Proposed Project Operational Train Noise 11-1 11.2 Noise Control Measures for Cumulative Operational Noise 11-1 11.3 Vibration Control Measures for Operations 11-3 11.4 Vibration Control Measures for Cumulative Operations 11-3 11.5 Noise Control Measures for Ancillary Facilities 11-7 11.6 Noise and Vibration Control Measures for Construction 11-7 12 References 12-1 Attachment A: Passby Noise Measurements A-1 Attachment B: Caltrain Passby Vibration Data - Energy-Averaged B-1 Attachment C: Measurement Locations C-1 TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 3-1 Source-Path-Receiver Framework for Airborne Wayside Noise ...................................... 3-2 Figure 3-2 Typical A-weighted Sound Levels .................................................................................... 3-3 Figure 3-3 Propagation of Groundborne Vibration into Buildings .................................................... 3-5 Figure 3-4 Typical Levels of Groundborne Vibration ........................................................................ 3-6 Figure 4-1 Allowable Increase in Total Noise Levels Allowed for FTA Category 1 and 2 .................. 4-3 Figure 4-2 Allowable Increase in Total Noise Levels Allowed for FTA Category 3 ............................ 4-3 Figure 5-1 Overview Map of All Field Measurement Locations ........................................................ 5-4 Figure 6-1 Day-night Noise Level for Caltrain Trains at 79 mph ....................................................... 6-3 Figure 6-2 Speed Dependence of Day-night Noise Level for Caltrain Trains at 50 Feet ................... 6-4 Caltrain Electrification Project February 2014 Page ii WILSON, IHRIG & ASSOCIATES Noise and Vibration Technical Report Introduction 1 Introduction Wilson, Ihrig and Associates prepared a noise and vibration analysis for the Peninsula Corridor Joint Power’s Board for the Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (PCEP or Proposed Project). The Caltrain Modernization Program would electrify and upgrade the performance, operating efficiency, capacity, safety and reliability of Caltrain’s commuter rail service. The entire Caltrain Modernization Program, which includes installation of an advanced signal/positive train control system and electrification, is planned to be completed by 2019. The PCEP is a component of the Caltrain Modernization program and consists of converting Caltrain from diesel-hauled to Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains for 75 percent of the service 1 within the Study Area bound by the San Francisco station at 4th and King Streets and the Tamien Station in San Jose. As part of the project, new electrical infrastructure would be installed in the Study Area, and electrified vehicles would be procured and purchased. Caltrain currently operates five trains per peak hour at a maximum speed of 79 miles per hour (mph) with 92 trains per day between San Jose and San Francisco. The Proposed Project would increase service up to six Caltrain trains per peak hour, per direction at operating speeds of up to 79 mph with 114 trains per day between San Jose and San Francisco. Project construction is schedule between 2015 and 2019 with revenue service expected in 2019 with the first full year of revenue service likely to occur in 2020. The existing ambient noise in the Caltrain corridor is primarily dominated by noise from the existing Caltrain rail service, tenant passenger and freight rail service on the Caltrain corridor, traffic on main highways and major arterials nearby, and aircraft flyover noise from nearby airports including San Francisco and San Jose International. The Day-Night noise level (Ldn) typically ranged from 67 to 73 Ldn and extended up to 82 Ldn at one area in San Jose. The existing ambient vibration in the corridor is dominated by vibration from the Caltrain rail service and tenant passenger and freight rail service, and to a much lesser extent traffic on nearby streets. The typical vibration level from Caltrain was 70 to 76 VdB at a distance of 50 ft from the track centerline, and the vibration approached 79 VdB at 50 ft distance at one location in Santa Clara. In areas of the corridor that have grade crossings, the current environmental noise conditions are influenced to a large degree by warning horn noise from Caltrain and tenant passenger and freight rail service. Horn noise can be heard at great distances from the rail alignment, depending on geographical characteristics and meteorological conditions among other factors. However, the area over which train horn noise generally has an impact is normally limited to 0.25-mile in each direction from the grade 1 The Proposed Project has funding for rolling stock to cover replacement of 75 percent of the rolling stock for the San Jose to San Francisco service. Caltrain will replace the remaining 25 percent over time as existing diesel stock reaches the end of its design life. Caltrain Electrification Project February 2014 Page 1-1 WILSON, IHRIG & ASSOCIATES Noise and Vibration Technical Report Introduction crossing. Freight trains operating on the existing rail alignment are another source of ambient noise and vibration. Currently, freight trains nominally operate between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Based on the analysis summarized herein, the following impacts were identified for Proposed Project construction: • Temporary noise impacts for noise sensitive uses within o 25 ft of overhead contact system installation o 60 ft of overbridge barrier installation o 55 ft of ancillary facility installation • Temporary vibration impacts for occupied residential buildings within 45 ft • Potential building damage impacts for structures within 15 ft of vibratory compactor or 25 ft of vibratory hammer activities Construction mitigation measures such as a noise control plan and a vibration control plan would help to reduce these impacts. These plans should incorporate best practices to reduce noise and vibration and site specific measures to protect buildings from potential building damage from construction damage; these measures would not necessarily guarantee noise and vibration exposure to less than the criterion limits, particularly where night construction is necessary. Based on the analysis summarized herein, the following impacts were identified for Proposed Project operations: • Year 2020 and 2040 o Moderate noise impact from Ancillary Facilities TPS1 Option 3 (1 hotel) o No significant new noise impacts from railroad operations o No significant new vibration impacts from railroad operations Mitigation to address operational noise impacts are as follows: • Ancillary facilities siting, design (perimeter barriers) and equipment placement and selection to conform to a performance criterion that limits substation noise to 60 dBA at 50 feet. Based on the analysis summarized herein, the following cumulative impacts were identified for operational noise: • Year