The benefits of building information modelling in construction noise control in the pre-construction phase (a focus on urban area constructions)

Abstract

For inner-city construction activities, the propagated construction noise is considered the primary source of nuisance for the surrounding area. Due to the short distance between the site and neighboring buildings, passive noise control techniques such as noise barriers have a limited mitigating impact. As a result, construction companies should anticipate encountering complaints and lawsuits from residents of adjacent buildings, leading to project delays or cost overruns. Previous studies for construction noise control have primarily focused on a real-time solution such as data collection by sensors during the execution phase. Although the guidelines recommend that source management is the most effective method of controlling construction noise, there is no systematic approach for focusing on construction noise during the planning phase. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been widely used to achieve effective project management, such as time and cost control. However, the benefits of BIM for noise-considered time planning in the pre-construction phase still need to be exploited. This research will focus on the potential of BIM for addressing construction noise as an additional factor during time planning. The findings show how multiple process plans using BIM-supported platforms can be planned and controlled to achieve the lowest risk of discomfort for neighboring area residents.