Underground Construction - October 2017 - 42

20 17 C A PA B I LITI E S G U I D E
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Contractors facing increased
pressure to turn down the noise

Sound regulations dictate work hours and required equipment decibel ratings in residential
and commercial neighborhoods. The rules vary
by country, state and municipality, which can
make it tricky for contractors to stay on top of
the current guidelines. These regulations are
already affecting contractors in many European
countries, and Vermeer anticipates and is preparing for cities across North America to follow
suit and adapt stricter guidelines.
Jon Kuyers, senior global product manager
at Vermeer, believes the sound issue has come
to the forefront because of the increased fiber
installation and utility replacement projects occurring in urban areas.
"With more people working from home than
ever before and nearby schools in session, contractors must do their part to help reduce noise
and distractions in neighborhoods," he said.
For example, in Nashville, where an abundance of fiber work is taking place, local news
sources reported an influx of complaints from
downtown dwellers who were losing sleep from
contractors working through the night. The city
responded by enforcing new ordinances that
ban construction work, including "blasting, jack
hammering and hoe ramming," between 8 p.m.
and 6 a.m.
While the construction noise is frustrating
to city residents, the increasingly stringent
ordinances popping up across North America
are equally frustrating to contractors who are
working to meet aggressive project installation
timelines.
For example, a contractor in Vancouver, British Columbia, stated that his crews can't start
working until 10 a.m. on Saturdays and must be
done by 8 p.m. To further complicate matters,
in some regions his crews can't work on Sundays without obtaining noise bylaw exception
permits. These narrow timeframes make it
challenging for his crews to complete projects
on schedule.
Residents' complaints will subside when
they're streaming their favorite media on their
new high-speed Internet service, but in the
meantime, contractors should be mindful of
their noise emissions in order to be good stewards of the communities they serve.

Engineering a solution
To help contractors meet noise regulations of
an urban jobsite, Vermeer has several drill
models that may offer a solution.

"As we evaluated the market landscape,
we realized that contractors are going to be
doing more fiber installation and electric and
gas replacement line work in congested urban
areas," Kuyers said. "That means contractors
are going to need equipment that is quieter,
has a quicker setup time and has a smaller
footprint."
Vermeer responded by introducing the S3
Navigator® horizontal directional drill lineup.
The S3 drills offer significant sound reductions
from the previous Series II Navigator models.
The reduced sound decibel ratings create less
neighborhood disturbance, making the S3 drills
well-suited for urban jobsites.
Watch this short video to hear the difference
for yourself.

Project considerations
Ordinances vary but most cities evaluate disturbances based on criteria like local zoning laws,
dBA noise level ratings, the proximity to sleeping areas, the time of day and the frequency and
duration of the noise. Some cities' guidelines
are more stringent than others. Before bidding
on their next projects, contractors should consider the following:
* Is the jobsite located in an industrial, residential or mixed zoning area?
* Are the local sound regulations stated in
the bid documents? If not, contact the local

government or their oﬃcial website for ordinance guidelines.
* Do you have access or a plan to utilize sound
mitigation material and/or shielding to reduce noise on the project?
* Can the company's horizontal directional
drill and supporting equipment meet the required sound decibel ratings? If not, does the
crew have access to an alternative equipment
or installation method?
* Does the company need to apply for noise
bylaw exception/exemption permits? How
far in advance? How will that affect the overall project costs?
* How do the local ordinances affect the project timeline? Will the company incur fines if
it is unable to meet the deadline? Should the
crew build extra time into the project plan to
compensate for shorter work hours?
If a contractor is confident in the crew and
equipment's ability to adjust and meet these
types of project considerations, the company
will likely be able to complete the installation
eﬃciently and cost-effectively.
Contractors who are feeling increased pressure to reduce jobsite noise emissions can contact a local Vermeer dealer to schedule a demo
of the S3 Navigator horizontal directional drill
lineup or visit www.vermeer.com for more
information.

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Underground Construction October 2017

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Underground Construction - October 2017

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