Effect of Attitudinal, Situational and Demographic Factors on Annoyance Due to Environmental Vibration and Noise from Construction of a Light Rapid Transit System

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to determine what non-exposure factors influence the relationship between vibration and noise exposure from the construction of a Light Rapid Transit (LRT) system and the annoyance of nearby residents. Noise and vibration from construction sites are known to annoy residents, with annoyance increasing as a function of the magnitude of the vibration and noise. There is not a strong correlation between exposure and levels of annoyance suggesting that factors not directly related to the exposure may have an influence. A range of attitudinal, situational and demographic factors are investigated with the aim of understanding the wide variation in annoyance for a given vibration exposure. A face-to-face survey of residents (n = 350) near three sites of LRT construction was conducted, and responses were compared to semi-empirical estimates of the internal vibration within the buildings. It was found that annoyance responses due to vibration were strongly influenced by two attitudinal variables, concern about property damage and sensitivity to vibration. Age, ownership of the property and the visibility of the construction site were also important factors. Gender, time at home and expectation of future levels of vibration had much less influence. Due to the measurement methods used, it was not possible to separate out the effects of noise and vibration on annoyance; as such, this paper focusses on annoyance due to vibration exposure. This work concludes that for the most cost-effective reduction of the impact of construction vibration and noise on the annoyance felt by a community, policies should consider attitudinal factors.

Annoyance in Response to Vibrations from Railways

“…A small number of studies have examined factors that may affect annoyance from vibrations. Wong-McSweeney et al found that concern of property damage and sensitivity to vibrations from construction of a transport system were two important modifying factors, as were age, ownership, and visibility of the construction work [ 29 , 34 ]. Visibility of the source of the stimulus has also been reported to reduce annoyance in Sweden [ 27 ].…”

“…Although the direction of association is difficult to elucidate, as worry and annoyance are interlinked, worry is an important modifying factor. Previous studies have shown that concern for property damage has been an important moderator of annoyance [ 34 ], despite vibration exposure below levels shown to result in actual physical damage to the property [ 35 ]. This raises the possibility that it is not only the vibrations themselves that are annoying but it may also be that the resultant worry is an indirect source of annoyance.…”

Buellia dispersa (Lichens) Used as Bio-Indicators for Air Pollution Transport: A Case Study within the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada (USA)

“…Studies have used lichens for documenting metal deposition across the world as it is well known that lichen absorbs metals and nitrogen [2,16,[34][35][36]. Researchers have evaluated the distribution of contaminants in relation to wind patterns in large population centers like Los Angeles as well as industrial areas [3,37].…”

“…Polluted air can typically contain NO x , SO x , CO 2 , aerosols, particulate matter (PM 10 , PM 2.5 ), heavy ("trace") metals, and organic pollutants from sources of fossil fuel activities [2,3]. Some metals (e.g., Pb, Cd, Cr) are known to be hazardous because of bioaccumulation and long retention times in tissues of living organisms, including humans [2]. These pollutants are not only suspended in air as particulates, but are found in tissues of plant and animal species within a given area, resulting from deposition onto and uptake processes.…”

Train-Induced Building Vibration and Radiated Noise by Considering Soil Properties

“…Urban areas affected by noise typically include schools, residence, office buildings, markets, airports, and subway stations [29][30][31][32][33]. To predict the structure-radiated noise, methods such as numerical methods, empirical formulas, or experimental methods can be adopted [34,35]. The empirical formula method is widely used because of its convenience and low cost [36].…”