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4.2 Acoustic Impact Analysis <br />Short -Term Acoustic Impacts <br />IL Short -term acoustic impacts are those associated with construc- <br />tion activities necessary to implement the Bristol Street Widen- <br />ing Project. These noise Levels will be higher than the ambient <br />noise levels in the project area today but will subside once <br />construction is complete. Construction is expected to begin in <br />the year 1989, with construction activities occurring over a <br />period of 6 months. <br />Two types of noise impact should be considered during the con- <br />struction phase. First, the transport of workers and equipment <br />to the construction site will incrementally increase noise levels <br />along the roadways leading to and from each specific construction <br />site. The increase should not exceed 1.0 dB(A), when averaged <br />over a 24 -hour period, and should therefore be an inaudible <br />increase to noise receptors located along the roadways utilized <br />for this purpose. <br />Second, the noise generated by the actual construction activities <br />at each construction site should be evaluated. Construction <br />activities are carried out in discrete steps, each of which has <br />its own mix of equipment, and Consequently its own noise charac- <br />teristics. These various sequential phases will change the char - <br />acter of the noise levels surrounding the construction site as <br />work progresses. Despite the variety in type and size of con- <br />struction equipment, similarities in the dominant noise sources <br />! and patterns of operation allow noise ranges to be categorized by <br />1] work phase. Figure 12 illustrates typical construction equipment <br />noise ranges at a distance of 50 feet. <br />The earth moving equipment category includes excavating machinery <br />I (backhoes, bulldozers, shovels, trenchers, front loaders, etc.) <br />and highway building equipment (compactors, scrapers, graders, <br />pavers, etc.). Typical operating cycles may involve one or two <br />minutes of full power operation followed by three to four minutes <br />at lower power settings. Noise levels at 50 feet from earthmov -- <br />ing equipment range from 73 to 96 dB(A). <br />The Environmental Protection Agency has found that the noisiest <br />equipment types operating at construction sites typically range <br />from 88 to 91 dB(A) at 50 feet. Although noise ranges were found <br />to be similar for all construction phases, the erection phase <br />(laying sub -base and paving) tended to be less noisy. Noise <br />levels varied from 79 dB(A) to 89 dB(A) (energy average) at 50 <br />feet during the erection phase of construction. <br />City Standards: The construction noise impact to the adjacent <br />noise sensitive land uses will be a temporary nuisance. The City <br />of Santa Ana Noise Ordinance from the Municipal Code requires <br />that construction activities take place only during weekday day- <br />4-13 <br />