Continuous Monitoring of Hospital Construction Noise & Vibration

During the demolition and construction phases of a hospital expansion and parking garage in suburban Washington, DC the prime contractor established a continuous monitoring program of both air-borne noise and ground-borne vibration in several locations surrounding the site and within the existing hospital. The hospital currently operates under a special exception waiver in a residential zone where historically neighbors have been very sensitive to and very vocal about noise emission from hospital operations, strongly resisting further hospital expansion. Knowing this history, the general contractor prudently decided to hire an acoustical engineering firm to constantly monitor noise and vibration 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to establish a record of all activities around the site including construction generated, to be able to intelligently address noise complaints as they arise. Monitoring inside the hospital also provided feedback to the contractor of any impact to a sensitive surgical suite. This paper provides an overview of the challenges facing consultants and engineers in setting up instrumentation and monitoring these parameters, interfacing with contractors, hospital owners and neighbors, and the benefits of constant monitoring during the life of the construction project.