A Tutorial for Analyzing Impact from Noise

Developed by Kim Cimmery (kapcimmery at hot mail dot com) April 2012

Background
This tutorial describes how the System for Automated Geo-Scientific Analysis or SAGA Geographic Information System can be used for analyzing impacts on local residences from construction noise levels. SAGA version 2.0.8 is used. The source of noise is pile-driving equipment associated with the construction of a new bridge connecting the mainland (a rural hamlet named Grapeview) and the small island called Treasure Island in Mason County, Washington, USA. Grapeview is characterized as low-density residential. There is not much commercial and nearly no industrial land use. This is a forested area, with a significant number of summer homes, located adjacent to and on the shores of Case Inlet in Puget Sound. The all year occupancy rate for Treasure Island is around 25%; this rate is somewhat higher for the nearby mainland but there are still a substantial number of non-resident homeowners. High maintenance costs forced the owners of Treasure Island, a private island, to replace a single-lane, 53-year old wood construction bridge. The sub-structure of the new bridge will involve 45 steel pilings supporting 15 piers plus the structures connecting the ends of the bridge to the mainland on the west and the island on the east. The new bridge pilings will be 30 diameter, about 60 in length, made of steel, and driven to a depth of 25. The bridge spans a salt-water inlet with a soft, sandy-mud bottom. Piles will be vibrated into the inlet bottom to within 8 of the final depth by hydraulically powered vibration. A diesel pile driver will then be used to drive the piles to their design depth of 25. The new bridge described above is an actual construction project that was started in October, 2011 and is scheduled for completion in June, 2012. Pile-driving took place in November. I am unsure of the length dimension of the pilings so I am going to assume a 60 length. I am also not familiar with the requirements of the permitting process other than to know it is complex and involves both engineering and environmental factors and a multitude of federal, state, and county government agencies. I reviewed available literature on the Internet regarding assessment of noise levels caused by construction equipment and activities. I believe this tutorial captures some aspects of current methodologies used for assessing noise impacts. Unfortunately, I was not able to locate data to create a more realistic application. For example, I could not find maximum allowable decibel (dB) levels for land use classes in Mason County. I made some estimates using information I found in available literature on what these values might be and those are the values used in this tutorial.

There are a number of factors that affect noise level reduction including distance, foliage, topography, humidity, temperature, etc. This tutorial involves two factors: distance and topography. Sound level is reduced related to distance from the noise source and topography has a blocking affect. Hypothetically, prior to actual construction, the homeowners association (the Treasure Island Country Club) determined that they would like to assess the noise impact from driving the 45 pilings on local residences. This tutorial provides you step-by-step instructions and explanation on how to accomplish this type of analysis using the SAGA GIS, version 2.0.8. All of the shapes and grid data layers used and created with this tutorial are available in a .zip file in the download area. The tutorial is divided into phases representing logical groupings of tasks. These phases are: 1. Defining the study area and preparing required data layers. - Importing and georeferencing the bridge image. - Defining the spatial boundary of the study area. - Preparing shapes and grid data layers for the study area. 2. Delineation of noisesheds. - Preparing the observer point shapes data layer. - Calculating the noisesheds. 3. Identifying addresses within the three noisesheds. 4. Creating distance grid data layers for three observer points. 5. Using the decibel reduction factor. 6. Assessing noise level impact. - Maximum allowable noise levels for address points by land use class. - The difference between predicted noise levels and the maximum allowable. - Categorizing noise level impact as low, moderate, and severe. 7. Contacting local property owners. Appendix References Consulted. At the beginning of each phase I will identify the SAGA modules applied along with the shapes and grid data layers referenced during the phase description. A phase description will provide a general explanation regarding the tasks and objectives for the phase. Many of the tasks include additional explanatory information.

1.0 Defining the Study Area and Preparing Required Data Layers
Modules Used: Import/Export Images/Import Image (bmp, jpg, png, tif, gif, pnm, xpm) Projection Georeferencing/Georeferencing Grids Projection Georeferencing/Create Reference Points [interactive] Shapes Tools/Create New Shapes Layer Shapes Points/Add Coordinates to points Shapes Tools/Shapes Buffer Shapes Polygons/Polygon Intersection Shapes Tools/Cut Shapes Layer Shapes Grid/Clip Grid with Polygon Shapes Tools/Copy Selection to New Data Layer Grid Gridding/Shapes to Grid Shapes Data Layers Used: BridgeCenterPoint BridgeReferencePoints (Origin) ControlPointCoords DispStudyArea GVHydroBodies GVRoadsGraPav GVstreams2 MasonAddDat Grid Data Layers Used: Bridge2 Bridge3 GVphoto Gvrelief MasonDEM Other: bridge.jpg Phase Description This first phase of the tutorial includes the tasks involved for defining a study area boundary and preparing a set of required data layers for use. First, an image of the plan view of the new bridge piling locations will be imported and georeferenced. This is a preliminary step. The image is necessary to spatially define the study area. The georeferenced plan view of the bridge pilings will be used in this phase to establish the midpoint of the bridge. The midpoint serves as the center for a circle defining the study area boundary. In addition, later phases require the location of three observer points based on the locations of new bridge pilings.

MasonHydro1 MasonParcels MasonRoadsGraPav MasonStreams2 OutStudyArea StudyAreaShape TempStudyArea TIBrAdd

MasonGenLU MasonRelief StudyAreaShapeGRID TIBrDEM TIBrGenLu

The last task in this phase is to prepare shapes and grid data layers that will be needed. There are two categories. One is for shapes and grid data layers that provide data to the analysis. The second category is for layers that can serve in the display of analysis results. 1.1 Importing and Georeferencing the Bridge Image I captured a screen copy of a not-to-scale plan view of the new bridge from the Internet website for the Treasure Island County Club (the homeowners association for the island residents). This screen copy shows the locations of the bridge pilings. I saved it as a .jpg format. The image coordinates for the .jpg image are row and column related for the millions of pixels defining the image. Although this image is not to scale, for the purposes of this tutorial it should work fine to provide an approximation of the new bridge and the new pilings. The bridge image is going to be the source of at least two inputs to the analysis. First, the X and Y coordinate for the midpoint of the bridge will define the center of a circle whose radius delineates the study area. Second, in a later phase in this tutorial I will establish three observer points, one on each end of the bridge and one in the middle, that will be used for several operations including defining three separate viewsheds. This first task will describe importing the bridge image and transforming the image row and column coordinates to project X and Y coordinates. Once the bridge uses project X and Y coordinates, the image (a grid data layer) can be used in conjunction with other shapes and grid data layers using the same coordinate system. 1. I import the .jpg image (bridge.jpg) of the bridge into SAGA using the Import/Export Images/Import Image (bmp, jpg, png, tif, gif, pnm, xpm) module. Figure 1.1.1 displays the parameters page for this module.

Figure 1.1.1. The parameters page for the Import/Export Images/Import Image (bmp, jpg, png, tif, gif, pnm, xpm) module.

The value field to the right of the Image File parameter is for identifying the storage location and name of the image file to be imported. I move the mouse pointer into the value field and click the left mouse button, an ellipsis appears. I move the mouse pointer on to the ellipsis and click the left mouse button again and I can browse to the storage location of the bridge image. Once I am at the storage location, I click on the file name (bridge.jpg). The path and file name are automatically entered as the entry for the Image File parameter. The imported image is converted from a .jpg image to a SAGA grid data layer. The grid system for the imported bridge file uses the native row and column coordinates for the .jpg image. I renamed and saved the imported image as Bridge2. It is displayed in Figure 1.1.2.

Figure 1.1.2. Plan view of bridge pilings for the new bridge. Notice that north is toward the bottom of the image. 2. I will use the Projection Georeferencing/Georeferencing Grids module to transform the bridge image coordinate system to the project X and Y coordinate system. The coordinate transformation is accomplished using four points whose locations are recognizable on both the image to be transformed and a target project data layer of the same area covered by the image. I am going to use the four corners of the bridge where they contact the shoreline. The locations of these points are captured on the Bridge2 data layer using the Projection Georeferencing/Create Reference Points [interactive] module. The X and Y coordinates keyed in as parameter data for this module are taken from the locations of the four points on the target project data layer of the same area. I have found through experience that I have better success in georeferencing if I create a point shapes data layer of these four points as a project data layer, capture X and Y coordinates as attributes in the linked attribute table, and display this file along with the attribute table when executing the Projection Georeferencing/Create Reference Points [interactive] module. This is particularly true in this situation as the precise location of the new bridge is slightly different than the old bridge. These next few steps describe how I create this point shapes data layer.

The four points (referred to above as Reference Points) I will use as the basis for the coordinate transformation are the four shoreline contact points for the bridge corners on the west end (the mainland end) and the east end (the island end) of the new bridge. 3. I create a blank point shapes data layer using the Shapes Tools/Create New Shapes Layer module and name it ControlPointCoords. The attribute table for this layer has two default attributes: ID and NAME. I will use the NAME attribute for the corner name of the coordinate, i.e., NW, NE, SW, or SE. 4. I am going to use an aerial photo image of the area (GVphoto) and a polygon shapes data layer of parcel boundaries (MasonParcels) as backdrops in a map view window for on-screen digitizing. I display the GVphoto layer and set the Type parameter in the Colors section in the Object Properties window for the layer to the Shade option and the Coloring parameter to dark bright. This displays the layer as a black and white aerial photo. The default value for the Fill Style parameter for the MasonParcels polygon shapes data layer is Opaque. In the Object Properties window for this layer, I change the Fill Style from the default Opaque to the Transparent option. I do not want the property polygons to block out the aerial photo. The ControlPointCoords layer is displayed in the same map view window as the two backdrops. The two layers, GVphoto and MasonParcels, will help to identify the locations of the four points. The on-screen digitizing process will be used to digitize locations of the four points on the new point shapes data layer ControlPointCoords. The ControlPointCoords layer is made the active layer by moving the mouse pointer over its name in the Data tab area of the Workspace and clicking the left mouse button. This selects the layer name and makes it the active layer. 5. The four points of land contact were digitized on the screen as described below. A. The Action tool ( ) on the Tool Bar was selected. B. Using the mouse, with the Action tool active, I move the mouse cursor into the map view window and click the right mouse button. C. When the pop-up list of options is displayed, I choose the Add Shape command. This places me into the point-digitizing mode (the new data layer ControlPointCoords is a point shapes data layer) allowing me to digitize a point. D. Once I digitize a point, I click the right button on the mouse. The pop-up list of options displays only one active option, Edit Selected Shape, and it has a check to its left. When I click on it, a dialog box displays asking if I want to Apply the changes? In this instance, the changes is the single point just digitized. I click on the Yes button. E. Now I want to add text for the NAME attribute for the new point. I click on the Attributes tab at the bottom of the Object Properties window. The two blank attributes display in the Object Properties window. I click in the blank column to the right of the NAME field and type in the appropriate label (i.e., NW, NE, SW, 6

or SE) depending on the point. I press the return key and click on the Apply tab to save the new attribute value. I continue this process until the four control points have been digitized and saved. F. This results with the four points displayed in the map view window in Figure 1.1.3.

Figure 1.1.3. The control points for transforming the Bridge2 image. 6. The last step in preparing this point layer is to add X and Y coordinates for the points as attributes to the layer attribute table. The Shapes Points/Add Coordinates to points module is used for this purpose. The parameters page for this module is displayed in Figure 1.1.4.

Figure 1.1.4. The parameters page for the Shapes Points/Add Coordinates to points module.

I enter my point shapes data layer ControlPointCoords for the >>Points input parameter and use the [create] option for the <Output parameter. 7. The updated attribute table appears in Figure 1.1.5.

Figure 1.1.5. The updated attribute table for the ControlPointCoords file. I re-save the ControlPointCoords file using the same layer name. As I noted earlier, the preparation of the ControlPointCoords point shapes data file is not a necessary step in using the Projection Georeferencing/Create Reference Points [interactive] and Projection Georeferencing/Georeferencing Grids modules. However, I have found it makes the process go a little easier in this situation. 8. The next step to georeferencing the Bridge2 grid data layer is to create the point shapes data layer Reference Points (Origin) that is needed as input for the Projection Georeferencing/Georeference Grid module. This layer is created interactively using the Projection Georeferencing/Create Reference Points [interactive] module. Basically this module captures the image coordinates for the reference points on the image I want to transform, the Bridge2 image, and uses X and Y attributes for the points to record the coordinates for the points in the project coordinate system. Being an interactive module, when it is executed it will continue executing until you explicitly stop the execution. The parameters page for the module is displayed in Figure 1.1.6.

Figure 1.1.6. The Create Reference Points parameters page for the Projection Georeferencing/Create Reference Points [interactive] module. Prior to executing this module, I create and display a map view window containing the Bridge2 grid data layer. The Bridge2 grid data layer is the plan view of the bridge pilings and the layer uses the native coordinates of the original .jpg image. In addition, I display the attribute table for the ControlPointCoords point shapes data layer I created earlier toward the bottom of the work area so I can see the values for the X and Y attributes. These X and Y coordinates are in the project coordinate system and represent the target coordinate system for transforming the Bridge2 layer. 9. This module uses the technique of onscreen digitizing. I choose the Action tool ( ) to begin digitizing the locations for the four control points. As noted earlier, the four points define the corners of the bridge for the two ends, the west end and the east end. These points are aligned with the outer rows of pilings. 10. The onscreen digitizing process for the control point locations is different from the one described earlier for capturing the locations for the points in the ControlPointCoords file. In this instance, after the Projection Georeferencing/Create Reference Points [interactive] module is executed, the Action tool is chosen and I move the mouse pointer directly to the location of one of the four point objects displayed in the map view window. I click the left mouse button, I am automatically in a point-digitizing mode, and when I click the left mouse button I digitize a point. A dialog window displays. It is used for entering the project coordinate system X and Y coordinates for the location of the digitized point. I did not have to choose an add option from a pop-up menu as in the normal onscreen digitizing process. The coordinates I key in for this step are the coordinates collected for the point objects in the ControlPointCoords point shapes data layer. These values can be read from the displayed attribute table. A possible confusing aspect of the coordinate entry process is that when the dialog window displays the entry form after I have entered a first set of coordinates, the first set of coordinates for that point (or the previous point) will still be 9

displayed in the entry fields. I can select and delete the old data and key in new coordinates or I can select and highlight them and key in the new coordinates. Either approach lets me enter my new coordinates for the point. 11. The process described in the step above is followed for each of the four control points. It is critical to make sure that the X and Y coordinates entered are the correct ones for the current control point. I use the labels (NW, NE, SW, SE) to make sure the points are correct. 12. Once I have digitized the four control points and entered their X and Y coordinates, I stop module execution by clicking on the Module Menu Bar option and click on the module name toward the bottom of the drop-down submenu. When I click on the module name, a dialog box displays, with the text Shall execution be stopped? Clicking on the Yes button will stop the module execution and the check mark to the left of the module reference name will disappear. The output from this module is a point shapes data layer named Reference Points (Origin). I rename this file BridgeReference Points (Origin). 13. Before continuing, I open the attribute table for the BridgeReference Points (Origin) point shapes data layer. I can display the attribute table by moving the mouse pointer over the data file name BridgeReference Points (Origin) in the Tab area of the Workspace, and clicking the right mouse button. On the pop-up menu, toward the bottom, is the label Attributes. I move the mouse pointer over Attributes and a pop-up menu displays that includes the Show option. I choose the option Show as I want to view the attribute table for the layer. I compare the X and Y coordinates to the ones appearing in the attribute table for the ControlPointCoords layer. The coordinates for corresponding points should match. 14. The Projection Georeferencing/Georeferencing Grids module is used for transforming the Bridge2 grid data layer coordinates to project coordinates. The parameters window for the module is displayed in Figure 1.1.7.

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Figure 1.1.7. The Georeferencing Grids module parameters window. The BridgeReference Points (Origin) point shapes data layer is chosen for the >>Reference Points (Origin) parameter. The attribute names for the X and Y coordinates in the linked attribute table are identified for the x Position and y Position parameters. The >Reference Points (Projection) parameter is not used and remains at the default [not set]. The Grids section of the parameters page is where you choose the grid system the image file is a part of (the grid system was defined when the image was imported into SAGA) and the name of the grid data layer. In this instance, the Grid system is 1: 733x 136y; 0x 0y and the >>Source parameter is Bridge2. The Options section is for specifying the target coordinate system. I choose the user defined option. The smaller the cell size for the output grid system the better the piling locations can be discerned. On a grid data layer using a cell size of 90 the piling locations would be too generalized or disappear. The actual bridge surface is about 25 in width and there is about 40 between sets of pilings. Using the user defined option will allow me to set a cell size of 1 and the level of detail needed in future steps. I click on the Okay button and a second parameters page displays. This one allows me to identify the specific grid system the output file will be a part.

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Figure 1.1.8. The User Defined Grid parameters window. The only change I make is to change the value for the Cellsize parameter to 1. Once the above entries are made, I move the mouse pointer to the Okay button and click on it. 15. The output from this module is a new grid data layer using the name of the input grid data layer Bridge2. The coordinate system for the new grid data layer is the same as the project coordinate system. The primary difference between this new grid data layer and the project grid system is the cell size. The new grid data layer uses the same coordinate system as the project grid system uses but the project grid system uses a cell size of 90. I rename the output Bridge3 and save the layer. Figure 1.1.9 displays this output file and the control points (the yellow circles on the ends of the bridge) with the aerial photo as a backdrop.

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Figure 1.1.9. The georeferenced bridge piling plan view image. You can visually discern the piling locations on the Bridge3 grid data layer. I will be able to use this layer in a later phase for locating three observer points for defining geographic areas that can be seen from the ends and the middle of the bridge. The more immediate use of the Bridge3 grid data layer will be to define the center or mid-point of the bridge span. This mid-point will be the center of a circle defining the study area. This is the next step. 1.2 Defining the Spatial Boundary of the Study Area The noise levels analyzed in this tutorial result from equipment used for driving steel pilings into the bottom of a narrow salt-water inlet between a small island and the mainland. The loudness or dB level of sound diminishes with distance from the noise source. Based on literature, the rate of reduction is according to the inverse square law. This means, that the dB level changes in inverse proportion to the square of the distance from the sound source. At distances greater than 50 from a sound source, every doubling of the distance produces a 6 dB reduction in the sound. I do not have access to sound measuring equipment to verify the noise level produced by pile-driving equipment. I found a couple references that provided general noise level data for typical construction equipment. Based on this source, I am using a noise level of 105 dB.

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Generally, the maximum accepted noise level for the Grapeview environment is 60 dB. This factor is discussed in a later phase. Due to the nature of the area, i.e., little commercial or industrial activities, the actual background level is probably much lower than 60. Using a value of 105 dB, at 3 miles away the dB value for the pile-driving operation is estimated to be around 50 dBs. I will define a study area boundary by a circle with a 3-mile radius with its center the midpoint of the new bridge. The area to the east of Treasure Island, the upper end of Case Inlet, will be removed from the study area. The eastern shoreline of Case Inlet is near the edge of a three-mile radius circle but Treasure Island will block much of the noise from reaching that area. 1. Before using the Shapes Tools/Shapes Buffer module I need to create a point shapes data layer containing a single point object representing the midpoint of the new bridge. I create an empty point shapes data layer using the Shapes Tools/Create New Shapes Layer module. I name the blank output data layer BridgeCenterPoint. 2. Next I display the Bridge3 grid data layer in a map view window and display the blank BridgeCenterPoint in the same window. Because the BridgeCenterPoint contains no objects, it appears invisible in the map view window. 3. I choose the BridgeCenterPoint layer to be the active layer. The layer is made active by clicking on its name in the Tab area of the Workspace. I will onscreen digitize a single point at or near the center of the bridge. 4. The single point is digitized on the screen as described below. A. The Action tool ( ) on the Tool Bar is selected. B. Using the mouse, with the Action tool active, I move the mouse cursor into the map view window and click the right mouse button. C. When the pop-up list of options displays, I choose the Add Shape option. This places me into the point-digitizing mode (the new data layer BridgeCenterPoint is a point shapes data layer) allowing me to digitize a point or point object. D. I move the mouse pointer to the middle set of three pilings. The midpoint of the bridge is adjacent to the southeast side of the middle of the three pilings. I click the left button to digitize the point location. E. After I digitize the point, I click the right mouse button. The pop-up list of options displays only one active option, named Edit Selected Shape, with a check to its left. When I click on this option, a dialog box displays asking if I want to Apply the changes? I click on the Yes button, as this will save the new point. Figure 1.2.1 displays the map view window with the bridge midpoint displayed in yellow.

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Figure 1.2.1. The point representing the bridge midpoint. After defining this midpoint, I used Excel and the X and Y coordinates of the four corners to calculate the X and Y coordinate of the midpoint. I then compared the calculated X and Y coordinates to the digitized X and Y coordinates. They were within a foot or two. This is close enough for the purpose. 5. When a buffer is created around a point it is actually a circle. I am going to use the Shapes Tools/Shapes Buffer module to create a circle with the bridge midpoint as the center. I use a 3-mile radius for the buffer. The parameters page for the module is displayed in Figure 1.2.2.

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Figure 1.2.2. The parameters page for the Shapes Tools/Shapes Buffer module. The BridgeCenterPoint point shapes data layer is chosen for the >>Shapes parameter. The layer contains a single point object and the object represents the midpoint of the new bridge. The [create] option is used for the <<Buffer output parameter. This is a fixed value buffer using a distance of 15840. This is a 3-mile radius in feet, i.e., 3 * 5,280. No sub-zones or sub-buffers will be delineated. The new buffer layer is produced after I click on the Okay button. 6. I rename the output polygon shapes data layer TempStudyArea. The eastern shoreline of Case Inlet is on the eastern edge of the 3-mile radius circle. My Mason County layers do not provide coverage from the middle of Case Inlet going east. However, I believe Treasure Island will block most of the pile-driving noise in that direction. See Figure 1.2.3 below.

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Figure 1.2.3. The output shapes data layer using a shaded relief grid data layer as backdrop. I will use SAGA tools to modify the circular area by eliminating the eastern portion where data is absent. 7. I decided to create a new polygon shapes data layer containing a single polygon object. I will onscreen digitize the area to be deleted from the output shapes data layer. I execute the Shapes Tools/Create new Shapes Layer module. I name the new layer OutStudyArea. I display it in the same map view window used in Figure 1.2.3 above. I make sure the OutStudyArea layer is the active layer and proceed to onscreen digitize a single polygon whose western boundary falls just inside the gray area of the shaded relief. The rest of the polygon boundary is outside of the circular area. This process is described here. A. The Action tool ( ) on the Tool Bar is chosen. B. Using the mouse, with the Action tool active, I move the mouse cursor into the map view window and click the right mouse button. C. When the pop-up list of options is displayed, I choose the Add Shape command. This places me into the polygon-digitizing mode (the new data layer is

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a polygon shapes data layer) and I digitize a series of points defining an enclosed area, i.e., a polygon. D. Once the polygon is digitized, I click the right button on the mouse. The pop-up list of options displays only one active option with a check to its left, named Edit Selected Shape. When I click on this option, a dialog box displays asking if I want to Apply the changes? I click on the Yes button and the polygon I just digitized is saved to the OutStudyArea polygon shapes data layer. The end result is a polygon shapes data file (OutStudyArea) that contains one polygon object. See Figure 1.2.4.

Figure 1.2.4. The polygon used to remove a portion a non-data area of the study area. The pale yellow area in Figure 4 is the polygon defining the area that will be removed from the circular shaped study area. 8. The next step is to create a revised study area that excludes the portion delineated by the yellow polygon in Figure 1.2.4. I will use the Shapes Polygons/Polygon Intersection module for this task. The parameters page for the module is displayed in Figure 1.2.5.

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Figure 1.2.5. The parameters page for the Shapes Polygons/Polygon Intersection module. The output layer produced by the Shapes Tools/Shapes Buffer module (TempStudyArea) is chosen for the >>Layer A input parameter and OutStudyArea, containing the polygon defining the area to be removed, is entered for the >>Layer B parameter. In addition, the Difference (A-B) option is chosen for the Method parameter. This means that the output from this module will be the difference between the two layers created by subtracting the second layer from the first. This is my desired result. 9. I click on the Okay button once the inputs are identified. I rename the output StudyAreaShape. This defines the study area for assessing the noise impact for the piledriving phase of the bridge construction project. The final study area boundary, in red, is displayed in Figure 1.2.6.

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Figure 1.2.6. The final study area boundary. 10. I need to define another boundary for a rectangular shaped polygon that encloses the study area. This polygon will represent a slightly larger area used for display purposes only. 11. There are a number of approaches I could take. I decide to create a second polygon for my study area boundary polygon shapes data layer (StudyAreaShape) using onscreen digitizing process for polygons described above. The new polygon (rectangular shaped) encompasses the study area polygon and is slightly larger. 12. I saved the new polygon. I make the StudyAreaShape polygon shapes data layer the active layer (I move the mouse pointer over the layer name, StudyAreaShape, in the Data tab area of the Workspace and click the left mouse button), I choose the Action tool ( ), move the pointer into the map view window displaying the StudyAreaShape layer and click within the new rectangular shaped polygon (I click outside of the boundary for the study area polygon but within the rectangular shaped polygon). The rectangular shaped polygon is now selected and highlighted. 13. I execute the Shapes Tools/Copy Selection to New Shapes Layer module. I choose the StudyAreaShape polygon shapes data layer for the >>Input parameter as this layer contains the selected and highlighted polygon. When the Okay button is clicked on, the rectangular shaped polygon is copied to a new layer. I rename the new polygon shapes data layer DispStudyArea.

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14. I then return to the StudyAreaShape map view window and delete the highlighted polygon and make sure that I re-save the StudyAreaShape layer so that it only contains the single polygon object that represents the final study area. 15. I am going to use the Grid Gridding/Shapes to Grid module to create a grid data layer version of the StudyAreaShape polygon shapes data layer. The ID attribute will be chosen to provide the grid cell values. The ID value for the polygon is 1. All grid cells within the study area boundary will have the value 1. Figure 1.2.7 displays the parameters page for creating this new grid data layer.

Figure 1.2.7. The Grid Gridding/Shapes to Grid module parameters page. 16. When I click on the Okay button, the module executes. The Choose Grid parameters page displays (Figure 1.2.8). This is where I choose the grid system for the Grid system parameter. The output grid data layer will be part of this grid system. The default [create] option is used for the <<Grid parameter.

Figure 1.2.8. The Choose Grid parameters page. 21

17. I rename the output grid data layer StudyAreaShapeGRID. 1.3 Preparing Shapes and Grid Data Layers for the Study Area The study area is about 15 square miles in size. Most of the available data layers are for Mason County, Washington. The county is around 1051 square miles in size. It will be much more efficient to start with layers that cover the study area rather than the entire county. This last task, in this phase, is to anticipate and prepare data layers required for analysis and display. Several data layers are needed. A digital elevation model grid data layer is needed as input to delineate viewsheds. Maximum allowable dB levels will be related to land use class. A county general land use grid data layer will be used to develop moderate and severe noise impact levels. A third required layer is a point shapes data layer containing point objects representing address points. An address is a digitized location having an official street address; the point could represent a residence, commercial building, industrial building, etc. This layer will be used to identify specific addresses. Rather than refer to them as points or point objects I am going to refer to them as address points. A number of layers are anticipated that can be useful in displaying analysis results. These include a shaded relief grid data layer, a black and white aerial photo, and shapes data layers for roads, streams, bodies of water, and land ownership parcels. 1. I will use the Shapes Grid/Clip Grid with Polygon module to prepare grid data layers for the study area. Figure 1.3.1 displays the parameters page.

Figure 1.3.1. The parameters page for the Shapes Grid/Clip Grid with Polygon module. The inputs chosen for the >>Input parameter are the county grid data layers for digital elevation (MasonDEM) and general land use (MasonGenLU). The study area boundary polygon in the StudyAreaShape polygon shapes data layer will be used to

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clip the two input grid data layers. This means that data outside of the polygon defining the study area will be deleted. This process will establish the grid system that I will use for most of the study area grid data layers output by the analysis steps. When I click on the Okay button the module executes and outputs clipped versions of the input grid data layers. 2. The output grid data layers have the same names as the input layers. I rename the two outputs TIBrDEM and TIBrGenLU. 3. There is one grid data layer that needs to be clipped using the DispStudyArea layer. Remember, the single polygon in this layer delineates a rectangular area slightly larger than the study area that will be used for displaying analysis results. The Shapes Grid/Clip Grid with Polygon module is executed a second time using the MasonRelief grid data layer as the single input for the >>Input parameter and the DispStudyArea for the >>Polygons parameter. I rename the output GVrelief. 4. There are four shapes data layers that also need clipped. The Shapes Tools/Cut Shapes Layer module will be applied to the shapes layers to restrict their spatial coverage to the study area only or, in the case of the larger rectangular area, a slightly larger area for display purposes. Figure 1.3.2 displays the parameters page for the Shapes Tools/Cut Shapes Layer module. This first execution of the module will use the DispStudyArea polygon shapes layer to clip the input layers for display purposes. You can see that the shapes layers chosen for the input >>Shapes parameter are MasonRoadsGraPav, MasonStreams2, and MasonHydro1.

Figure 1.3.2. The parameters page for the Shapes Tools/Cut Shapes Layer module. A second window, Polygons displays after I click the Okay button on the Cut Shapes Layer parameters page. This second window is where I choose the polygon layer that provides the polygon data for clipping purposes. I choose the DispStudyArea layer for this input.

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I rename the outputs GVRoadsGraPav, GVStreams2, and GVHydroBodies. This module is executed a second time using the study area boundary polygon (StudyAreaShape) to clip the MasonAddDat point shapes data layer. I rename the output layer TIBrAdd. Due to the intersection process related to line and polygon objects, portions of objects were retained outside of the clipping polygons. When this occurred, I used the vector edit features available to delete features outside of the study area boundary or the display area boundary polygon. The shapes and grid data layers anticipated for the study area and the display area are now available.

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2.0 Delineation of Noisesheds

Modules Used: Shapes Tools/Create New Shapes Layer Terrain Analysis Lighting, Visibility/Visibility (single point) [interactive] Grid Calculus/Grid Calculator Shapes Data Layers Used: TIBrObservers Grid Data Layers Used: Bridge3 TIBrDEM VisibilityEast

VisibilityCenter VisibilityWest NoiseshedAll

Phase Description Analysts involved with assessing visual impacts of proposed projects, such as a new utility corridor or microwave tower, often will determine the area that can be seen from the proposed project as part of the assessment. This area is called a viewshed. A line-ofsight approach is used to calculate a viewshed. Areas behind hills and mountains are blocked from being seen by observers. Observer points can be located on features such as roads and hiking trails or, conversely, observer points can be placed within the project, e.g., on top of transmission towers for an energy corridor, and the viewshed delineated from that perspective. A similar concept is involved with assessing the impact from noise causing activities produced from construction projects. In these instances, rather than what can be seen it is what can be heard and at what dB level. The same algorithm used for determining what can be seen is used for predicting where a sound can be heard. In the latter case, the observer point becomes the noise source. The potential area that can hear the noise (the viewshed) is based on the point location of the noise source. I have not encountered the concept of a noiseshed but that term seems to fit for the determination of a viewshed for purposes related to noise impact assessment. I am going to use the term noiseshed in this tutorial to refer to a viewshed that is calculated for noise assessment purposes. The similarity between a viewshed and a noiseshed is that whether something can be seen or heard depends on whether the area is blocked from the observer by topography. An additional factor associated with a noiseshed is the dB level that can be heard. This is determined based on distance from the noise source and applying the dB reduction formula. A dB value is a quantitative representation of the amount of noise measured at a point.

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The new bridge will be over 700 in length by about 24 wide. There are 15 sets of pilings. The first set of pilings on the west end and the first set of pilings on the east end are about 575 apart. A noiseshed will be developed for each of three observer points. There will be one observer point on each set of the end pilings and another at the bridge midpoint. The observer point height used for each observer point is going to be 60. This is the approximate height of a piling at the start of the pile-driving; this is a conservative estimate of the height and does not take into consideration water depth. I will use the Terrain Analysis Lighting, Visibility/Visibility (single point) [interactive] module to determine the area that can hear a level of noise from an observation point. There are three inputs for this module. The first input is a digital elevation model grid data layer. For this study area, this is the TIBrDEM grid data layer. This data layer provides elevations for the study area. The grid cell size used for the grid data layers for the project is 90 on a side. The second input is the height of the observer point above the ground. As discussed above, this value will be 60. The third input is provided interactively. This is the horizontal position of the observer point. There will be three observer points used and a noiseshed will be defined for each. The three observer points are based on location of several of the pilings. The execution of this module is interactive. The Action tool is used with the mouse to click on a location. When a location is digitized in this manner, a Visibility grid data layer is generated. This new layer can be saved without exiting the continuously running module. This means that the noiseshed for each observer point can quickly be generated, renamed and saved without exiting the module until all three files are created and saved. 2.1 Preparing the Observer Point Shapes Data Layer In addition to the use of the three observer points to delineate a noiseshed, the same observer points will be used in the next phase to calculate and produce a distance grid data layer for each. For consistency, it is best to define the observer point locations once so when the same points are needed again, the identical locations are used. I will onscreen digitize the three observer points. This does not take too long to accomplish. 1. Display the Bridge3 grid data layer in a map view window. Figure 2.1.1 displays this map view window. There are fifteen sets of pilings for the bridge. There are no pilings on the ends. The abutment on the west end of the bridge (the mainland end) is number 1 and the abutment on the east end, the island end, is number 17. The sets of pilings, therefore, are numbered 2 through 16, going west to east or going from the mainland to the island. I am going to place observers 60 above the middle pilings for sets 2 and 16 and a third observer 60 above, adjacent to the southeast side of the middle piling in set 9.

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Figure 2.1.1. Zoomed in on the Bridge3 grid data layer. 2. I execute the Shapes Tools/Create New Shapes Layer module and create a new, point shapes data layer. I name the layer TIBrObservers. The attribute table linked to this layer has two fields: ID and NAME. 3. I display the new, blank layer in the same map view window as the Bridge3 grid data layer. I also move the mouse pointer over the name TIBrObservers in the Data tab area of the Workspace and click the left mouse button to make sure it is the active layer. 4. Here is the process for digitizing the single point for the center observer. ) on the Tool Bar. A. I select the Action tool ( B. Using the mouse, with the Action tool chosen, I move the mouse cursor into the map view window and click the right mouse button. C. When the pop-up list of options displays, I choose the Add Shape command. This places me into the point-digitizing mode (the new data layer TIBrObservers is a point shapes data layer) allowing me to digitize a point or point object. D. The first point I am going to digitize is for the central observer. This observer point is just to the southeast side of the middle piling for set 9. Prior to digitizing the point I use the zoom command ( ) on the Tool Bar to enlarge the view of piling set 9. Then I re-select the Action tool. E. I move the mouse pointer just to the outside on the southeast side of the middle piling in set 9 and click the left mouse button. A square with a small circle in the middle appears where the mouse pointer is when I clicked the left mouse button. F. I click the right mouse button. The pop-up list of options displays only one active option, named Edit Selected Shape, with a check mark to its left. When I click on it, a dialog box displays asking if I want to Apply the changes? I click on the Yes button and save the new point.

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G. I now want to enter a 1 for the ID attribute and input text for the NAME attribute in the attribute table for the layer. I click on the Attributes tab toward the bottom of the Object Properties window. The two fields are displayed at the top of the Object Properties window. H. I move the mouse pointer into the blank column to the right of the ID field and enter the number 1. Next I move to the blank field to the right of the NAME label, click the left mouse button, and enter Center as the text entry. This point represents the center observer. I press the enter key on the keyboard and click on the Apply button at the bottom of the Object Properties window. A dialog box for the attributes table displays with the text Save changes? I click on the Yes button. 5. The above steps are followed to add the observer point over the middle piling in set 16 (the eastern-most observer) and the one over the middle piling in set 2 (the western-most observer). I enter a value of 1 for each of the ID fields and East and West for the NAME attribute. 6. The last step is to make sure the point shapes data layer TIBrObservers is saved. 2.2 Calculating the Noisesheds I am going to use the Terrain Analysis Lighting, Visibility/Visibility (single point) [interactive] module for calculating a noiseshed from each of the three observer points. 1. I display the Bridge3 grid data layer and the TIBrObservers point shapes data layer in a map view window. Figure 2.2.1 displays this map view window. The Bridge3 layer serves as a backdrop to the shapes layer. The onscreen digitizing could be accomplished with only the TIBrObservers point layer. If you cannot view the observer points in the map view window it could be that the Bridge3 layer is covering them up. Move the mouse pointer to the Maps tab and click on the tab. Look for the map view window containing the two layers Bridge3 and TIBrObservers. The Bridge3 layer should appear below the TIBrObservers layer in the list. If it does not, you can move the mouse pointer over the TIBrObservers layer name, right click on it, and choose the option Move to Top. In Figure 2.2.1 the observer points are displayed in white. The white circle on the west end of the bridge represents the location of the western-most observer, the white circle in the middle, the central observer, and the white dot on the eastern end the eastern-most observer.

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Figure 2.2.1. Zoomed in on the bridge pilings and observer points. 2. Execute the Terrain Analysis Lighting, Visibility/Visibility (single point) [interactive] module. The parameters page for the module is displayed in Figure 2.2.2.

Figure 2.2.2. The parameters page for the Terrain Analysis Lighting, Visibility/Visibility (single point) [interactive] module. The TIBrDEM grid data layer has been chosen for the >>Elevation input parameter. The objective is to create new output so the [create] option is chosen for the <<Visibility output parameter. The Height parameter allows you to specify the height of the observer above the terrain. The observer in this analysis is set to 60. This is the height of the starting point, above the terrain, for pile-driving. The Visibility option is chosen for the Unit parameter. 29

3. I start with the observer location at the east end of the bridge. First I am going to use the Zoom tool ( ) to zoom in on the white circle representing the eastern-most

) on the Tool Bar menu to start the point observer. Next, I choose the Action tool ( digitizing process. I move the mouse pointer over the middle of the circle representing the eastern-most observer and click the left mouse button. Immediately after I click the mouse button, the default Visibility output grid data layer pops up in a new map view window. 4. Figure 2.2.3 displays the new map view window.

Figure 2.2.3. The Visibility grid data layer. Black represents areas not seen from the observer point. This means that topographic relief blocks these areas from being seen. These grid cells contain 0s. The white areas, within the study area, are cells that are seen and contain 1s. I displayed the study area boundary in red in the map view window to make it easier to interpret the white areas. The digital elevation data layer does not include elevations for grid cells outside of the study area. 5. I am going to use the Save As command to save this first Visibility output using a unique file name, VisibilityEast. I move the mouse pointer over the Visibility grid data layer name in the Data tab area of the Workspace, press the right mouse button, and choose the Save As command from the pop-up menu of options. I then save the new layer. I am ready to use this same procedure to create two more noiseshed maps, one for the center observer, and another for the western-most observer. 6. I calculate noisesheds for the two additional observers naming the new files VisibilityCenter and VisibilityWest.

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7. Once I have saved the third one, I can exit out of the Terrain Analysis Lighting, Visibility/Visibility (single point) [interactive] module. I click the mouse pointer on the Modules option on the Menu Bar. At the bottom of the drop-down list of options, the name representing the interactive module is shown (Visibility (single point) [interactive]) with a check to the left indicating it is currently running. I move the mouse pointer over the module reference, and click the left mouse button. A message window appears asking if I want to stop execution of the model. I click on the Yes button and the model stops. 8. Each noiseshed will be used to analyze noise impacts for address points that fall within the noiseshed. When I first view the three visibility layers I do not see any differences between them. I decide to develop one grid data layer that combines the three noiseshed layers. This next step then is to merge the three files into a single file representing a composite noiseshed for the bridge pile-driving operation. When I display the composite layer created in this manner it will be easier to view any spatial differences. This layer is also needed in the next task to help differentiate between address points within the noisesheds and outside of the noisesheds. 9. If the three visibility data layers are not already loaded into the Workspace, I use the Load grid command in the Menu Bar File drop-down menu to re-load them. 10. I will use the Grid Calculus/Grid Calculator module to add the three layers to create a fourth layer.

Figure 2.2.4. The parameters page for the Grid Calculus/Grid Calculator module. The parameters page for the Grid Calculator module is displayed in Figure 2.2.4. You can see that the three noiseshed grid data layers are chosen for the >>Grids input parameter. The formula is a simple addition of the three layers. The variables a, b, and c refer to the input layers in the order they are listed. I am naming the output NoiseshedAll. The NoiseshedAll layer is displayed in Figure 2.2.5.

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Figure 2.2.5. The composite noiseshed grid data layer NoiseshedAll. Viewing the composite, I can visually observe differences between the three noisesheds. On each of the original noiseshed grid data layers, seen areas contain 1s and non-seen areas contain 0s. On the composite map in Figure 2.2.5, NoiseshedAll, not seen areas contain 0s (dark blue in the display) and seen areas contain 1s, 2s, or 3s. Cells with the value 1 (light blue) are present on one noiseshed layer, a 2 (orange) means the cells are visible on two of the three noiseshed layers and a value of 3 (maroon) means the cell is visible on all three layers.

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3.0 Identifying Addresses Within the Three Noisesheds

Modules Used: Grid Tools/Reclassify Grid Values Shapes Grid/Add Grid Values to Points Shapes Tools/Select by Attributes (Numerical Expression) Shapes Tools/Copy Selection to New Shapes Layer Shapes Data Layers Used: TIBrAdd TIBrAdd2 TIBrAddNoise Grid Data Layers Used: NoiseshedAll NoiseshedAll_1 Phase Description A point shapes data layer, TIBrAdd, was created in an earlier phase using the Shapes Tools/Cut Shapes Layer module. This layer contains all the address points within the study area. I can now refine this layer and eliminate addresses outside of the noisesheds. The assumption is that addresses outside of the noisesheds will not be affected by noise generated by the pile-driving activity. I will use the NoiseShedAll grid data layer to determine whether an address is within any of the three noisesheds. Before I can use it I want to use the Grid Tools/Reclassify Grid Values module to create a grid data layer where a 1 value is stored in any grid cell within any of the three noisesheds. Then I will use the Shapes Grid/Add Grid Values to Points module to add this layer as an attribute for the TIBrAdd address points. The Shapes Tools/Select by Attributes (Numerical Expression) module will then be used to select and highlight all of the address points having the value of 1 in the attribute table for the noiseshed field. Once the points are selected and highlighted, the Shapes Tools/Copy Selection to New Shapes Layer module is used to create the new point shapes data layer that only contains address points within the noisesheds. 1. I execute the Grid Tools/Reclassify Grid Values module using the NoiseshedAll grid data layer for the >>Input parameter. See Figure 3.0.1 below.

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Figure 3.0.1. The parameters page for the Grid Tools/Reclassify Grid Values module. The module supports changing a single value, a range of values, values based on Boolean logic, based on a table, etc. The NoiseshedAll layer contains data values ranging from 1 to 3. I will use the range option for the Method parameter to recode values 1 (minimum value) through 3 (maximum value) to the new value of 1. Cells outside of the noisesheds but within the study area will contain 0s. I click on the Okay button to execute the module. The Grid Calculator module could be used in place of the Reclassify Grid Values module to create the NoiseshedAll_1 layer. This is an example where there is more than one approach in SAGA to achieve an output objective. 2. I rename the output from the module NoiseshedAll_1. I now have a single grid data layer where grid cells within any one of the three noisesheds contain 1s. I will use this layer to provide attribute data for the TIBrAdd point shapes data layer. All address points within a noiseshed will have a 1 and address points outside of the noisesheds will have a 0 for the new attribute. 3. I execute the Shapes Grid/Add Grid Values to Points module. The module parameters window is displayed in Figure 3.0.2.

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Figure 3.0.2. The Shapes Grid/Add Grid Values to Points module parameters window. The TIBrAdd point shapes data layer is chosen for the >>Points parameter. The [create] option is used for the <Result parameter. This means that the output will be a new data layer. The attribute table for the new layer will contain the new attribute. The grid data layer that was output from the Grid Tools/Reclassify Grid Values module, NoiseshedAll_1, is the single layer chosen for the >>Grids input parameter. I do not want any interpolation to be applied to data values so the Nearest Neighbor option is chosen for the Interpolation parameter. Once I have made my entries, I click on the Okay button. 4. The output point shapes data layer has the same name as the input. Although this layer is an interim layer that will be used to get to a new layer I am going to rename and save it as TIBrAdd2. The attribute table linked to the new layer now has a 25th attribute, NOISESHEDA, containing 1s and 0s depending on whether the address point is within or outside of the noisesheds. The next step is to select and copy all of the address points/records containing a 1 for this new attribute into a new data layer. The attribute name for the appended attribute using data from the NoiseshedAll_1 shows up as NOISESHEDA. This is because of the way the dBase file format handles column headings. The program uses upper case characters and limits the text to 10 characters. 5. I am going to use the Shapes Tools/Select by Attributes (Numerical Expression) module to select address points in the TIBrAdd2 point shapes data layer having the value of 1 for the NOISESHEDA attribute in the attribute table. Figure 3.0.3 displays the parameters page for this module.

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Figure 3.0.3. The parameters page for the Shapes Tools/Select by Attributes (Numerical Expression) module. The TIBrAdd2 point shapes data layer is chosen for the >>Shapes parameter and the attribute added with the Shapes Grid/Add Grid Values to Points module, NOISESHEDA is chosen for the Attribute parameter. The attribute chosen for the Attribute parameter is referred to as the variable a in the formula entered in the value field to the right of the Expression parameter. The formula for choosing a record is for the value in the NOISESHEDA field to equal 1. This is entered as a=1. Several options are available for the Method parameter. This is a new selection so I choose the new selection method. I am okay with my entries and click on the Okay button to execute the module. 6. The output from this module is the selection of records, i.e., address points, meeting the criteria for the Expression parameter. There are two ways to view the output. One way is to choose the Show command and display the attribute table. You can view the attribute table by moving the mouse pointer over the point shapes data layer name TIBrAdd2 in the Data tab area of the Workspace, click the right mouse button. On the pop-up menu, toward the bottom, is the label Attributes. I move the mouse pointer over Attributes and a pop-up menu displays that includes the Show option. I choose that option. When the attribute table displays, use the scroll bar on the right to scroll down the list of records. Or, you can move all the selected records to the top of the table by moving the mouse pointer into the far left column (the column displaying record numbers), click the right mouse button, and choose the Sort Selection to Top option from the pop-up list of options. The records with a gray background are the ones selected. If you scroll all the way to the right in the table to the very last attribute column, you can see the values for the NOISESHEDA attribute.

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The other way to view output of selected records is to display the TIBrAdd2 layer in a map view window. When the point objects for the layer display, the ones colored yellow are the ones selected as meeting the criteria for the Expression parameter. The fill color used for displaying selected objects will be the color set for the Fill Color parameter in the Settings tab area of the Object Properties window for the layer. I am using yellow for this setting. Figure 3.0.4 displays a portion of the attribute table for the TIBrAdd2 layer and a zoomed in portion of the layer displayed in a map view window.

Figure 3.0.4. Sample output from the Shapes Tools/Select by Attributes (Numerical Expression) module. 7. I will use the Shapes Tools/Copy Selection to New Shapes Layer module to copy the selected point objects and their associated attribute data to a new point shapes data layer. This new layer will only contain address points that fall within any one of the three noisesheds. Figure 3.0.5 displays the Shapes Tools/Copy Selection to New Shapes Layer module parameters page for creating this new layer.

Figure 3.0.5. The Shapes Tools/Copy Selection to New Shapes Layer module parameters page. 37

8. I rename the output from the Copy Selection to New Shapes Layer module TIBrAddNoise. The original TIBrAdd layer contains 1862 point objects. The layer containing address points within the noisesheds has 646 address points. This means that 646 of the original 1862 address points are within the three noisesheds.

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4.0 Creating Distance Grid Data Layers for Three Observer Points
Modules Used: Grid Tools/Proximity Grid Shapes Tools/Copy Selection to New Shapes Layer Grid Gridding/Shapes to Grid Grid Calculus/Grid Calculator Shapes Data Layers Used: TIBrObservers ObserverWest ObserverCenter Grid Data Layers Used: ObsWestDist ObsCenterDist ObsEastDist ObsEast2Dist ObsCenter2Dist ObsWest2Dist

ObserverEast StudyAreaShape

GVphoto ObsCenterGRID ObsEastGRID ObsWestGRID StudyAreaShapeGRID GVrelief

Phase Description A distance layer needs to be created for each of the three observer points. The distance an address point is away from a noise source, within the noiseshed of the noise source, determines the level of noise received at the address point. The grid data values in the distance layers represent distance, in feet, from the observer point to the edge of the study area. Since the radius of the study area is based on 3 miles or 15840, the highest data value will be 15840. These three layers are used as inputs for calculating dB levels. I am going to use the Grid Tools/Proximity Grid module to create the distance grid data layer for each observer point. The first step toward using this module will be to develop three grid data layers, one for each observer point, where the grid cell for the location of the observer point will have a value of 1. These layers will be the inputs for the Proximity Grid module. The TIBrObservers point shapes data layer is the starting point for preparing the three input grid data layers. A point shapes data layer for each observer will be created and a grid data layer version of each become the input grid data layers for the Grid Tools/Proximity Grid module. The polygon shapes data layer for the study area (StudyAreaShape) will be used to clip the distance output layer so that only distance data within the study area appears in the final distance grid data layers.

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1. I display the TIBrObservers point shapes data layer in a map view window using the aerial photograph of the area as a backdrop. This map view window is displayed in Figure 4.0.1. The circles representing the three observer points are displayed in red.

Figure 4.0.1. The TIBrObservers point shapes data layer. 2. I will create the ObserverWest point shapes data layer first. I make sure the TIBrObservers point shapes data layer is the active layer. I do this by moving the mouse pointer over the layer name in the Data tab area of the Workspace and clicking on it. Next, I use the zoom tool ( choose the Action tool ( ) to zoom in on the western-most observer point and ) from the Tool Bar.

3. I move the mouse pointer near the small circle representing the observer location and click and hold the left mouse button and drag the pointer across the circle to select and highlight it. When it is selected and highlighted, the color will change from red to yellow. The highlight color you are using for the Fill Color parameter may be different than the yellow that I am using. Figure 4.0.2 displays the zoomed in view of the observer points showing the westernmost one highlighted.

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Figure 4.0.2. The selected western-most observer point. 4. Next I execute the Shapes Tools/Copy Selection to New Shapes Layer module. The parameters page for the module is displayed in Figure 4.0.3.

Figure 4.0.3. The Shapes Tools/Copy Selection to New Shapes Layer module parameters page. The single input for the module is to identify the shapes data layer displaying the selected object or objects. In this instance, a single object, the symbol representing the piling location for the observer, is highlighted on the TIBrObservers layer. When the Okay button is clicked on, a new point shapes data layer is created containing the single point object. I rename this new layer ObserverWest.

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5. I use the same process described above to create a point shapes data layer for the center and eastern-most observer points. The resulting observer point files are named ObserverCenter and ObserverEast. 6. Next I am going to develop a grid data layer representing each observer point. Before doing that I need to verify that the value for the ID attribute for the single point object in each layer is 1 and not 0. I move the mouse pointer over the ObserverCenter file name in the Data tab area of the Workspace and click the right mouse button. On the pop-up menu, toward the bottom, is the label Attributes. I move the mouse pointer over Attributes and a pop-up menu displays that includes the Show option. I choose the Show option, as I want to view the attribute table for the layer. Figure 4.0.4 displays the attribute table for the ObserverCenter point shapes data layer.

Figure 4.0.4. The attribute table for the ObserverCenter point shapes data layer. The layer contains only one point object and there are only two attributes. I see that the value for the ID attribute is 1. I verify this for the other two observer points as well. 7. I will use the Grid Gridding/Shapes to Grid module to create grid data layers for each of the observer point shapes data layers. Figure 4.0.5 displays the parameters page for this module. It is set up to create a grid data layer version of the ObserverCenter point shapes data layer.

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Figure 4.0.5. The Grid Gridding/Shapes to Grid module parameters page. Notice that the ObserverCenter data layer is chosen for the >>Shapes input parameter and the ID attribute will be used to provide the data value for the point in the grid data layer. There are two choices for the Target Grid parameter. One is user defined. It is used if you do not already have a grid system you want the new grid data layer to be a part. The second one, grid, chosen here, is for the other case when you do have a target grid system for the new layer. After clicking the Okay button, another dialog window displays asking me to choose the grid system for the new grid data layer. This window is displayed in Figure 4.0.6.

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Figure 4.0.6. The Choose Grid window for the Shapes to Grid module. Notice in Figure 4.0.6 that the [create] option is chosen for the <<Grid parameter. When the module finishes, I rename the output grid data layer ObsCenterGRID. I follow the same procedure to create grid data layers for the other two observer points naming the outputs ObsEastGRID and ObsWestGRID. 8. The ObsWestGRID, ObsCenterGRID, and ObsEastGRID data layers are the input grid data layers for three separate executions of the Grid Tools/Proximity Grid module. The output from each execution is a distance grid data layer for the observer point. Figure 4.0.7 displays the parameters page for the module.

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Figure 4.0.7. The parameters page for the Grid Tools/Proximity Grid module. The ObsWestGRID grid data layer is chosen for the >>Features parameter. The only output is the default output for a distance grid data layer (<<Distance). I rename this new grid data layer ObsWestDist. The output will include area outside of the study area. See Figure 4.0.8.

Figure 4.0.8. The new ObsWestDist grid data layer. 9. A grid data layer version (StudyAreaShapeGRID) of the polygon shapes data layer for the study area has previously been created using the Grid Gridding/Shapes to Grid module. This grid data layer will be used to delete distance data from outside of the study area. The Grid Calculus/Grid Calculator module is used for this purpose. The parameters page for the Grid Cfalculator module is displayed in Figure 4.0.9.

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Figure 4.0.9. The parameters page for the Grid Calculator to delete distance data from outside of the study area. Two inputs are chosen for the >>Grids parameter. The first input, StudyAreaShapeGRID contains the value of 1 in all grid cells within the study area. This layer is represented by the variable a in the formula. The second input, represented by the variable b in the formula, is the distance layer for the west observer point. The formula, ifelse(eq(a,1),b,-99999) checks a grid cell on the first input layer for the value of 1. If the grid cell contains a 1, it means the cell is within the study area. The corresponding grid cell in the second input layer is output to a new grid data layer. If the grid cell is outside of the study area (meaning it does not contain a 1), than a value for no data (-99999) is output to the new grid data layer for the current grid cell. Figure 4.0.10 displays the new grid data layer created by this execution of the Grid Calculator. The new grid data layer is named ObsWest2Dist (see the Name parameter in Figure 4.0.9). I save the new layer.

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Figure 4.0.10. The new grid data layer ObsWest2Dist. The ObsWest2Dist data layer is displayed in the figure using the GVrelief layer as a background. Also, the study area boundary is displayed in black. 10. The process described in steps 8 and 9 is repeated for the other two observer points. The final grid data layers containing distance values from the observer points are ObsWest2Dist, ObsCenter2Dist, and ObsEast2Dist.

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5.0 Using the Decibel Reduction Factor

Modules Used: Grid Calculus/Grid Calculator Shapes Grid/Add Grid Values to Points Shapes Data Layers Used: TIBrAddNoise Grid Data Layers Used: ObsWest2Dist ObsCenter2Dist ObsEast2Dist

ObsWestDecibe ObsCenterDecibel ObsEastDecibel

Other: Excel or comparable spreadsheet program Phase Description In this phase, the dB reduction formula is calculated using an Excel spreadsheet. This formula is then used with the SAGA Grid Calculator to create a dB level grid data layer for each of the three observers. The phase describing the process for defining the study area included criteria related to loudness or dB values. It was explained that the dB level of sound diminishes with distance from the noise source. The basic relationship is that at distances greater than 50 from a sound source, every doubling of the distance produces a 6 dB reduction in the sound. Other factors can influence this rate. These factors include foliage, bodies of water, humidity, temperature and others. Sound measuring equipment can be applied to actually measure at specific distances from a noise source the actual dB level. These measurements would reflect the composite effect of all factors on the dB level. Unfortunately, I do not have access to sound measuring equipment. This tutorial simplifies this determination and considers only the use of the 6 dB reduction based on distance. Regarding the noise level from a pile-driving operation, available literature suggests that pile-driving equipment generates noise levels around 105 decibels. An Excel spreadsheet was used to develop a formula for calculating dB values using the distance grid data layers for the three observer points. Here is the data used in Excel.

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The formula for calculating dB level, based on distance, for the above data is: y = -8.6562 * Ln(x) + 132.86 This formula will be used in the Grid Calculator module with each of the three observer distance grid data layers (ObsWest2Dist, ObsCenter2Dist, and ObsEast2Dist) to produce a dB level grid data layer for each observer point. 1. I execute the Grid Calculus/Grid Calculator module. Figure 5.0.1 displays the parameters page that will generate the dB level grid data layer for the western-most observer point.

Figure 5.0.1. The Grid Calculator module parameters settings for generating a dB level grid data layer for the western most observer point. The single input grid data layer is the ObsWest2Dist layer. The formula, determined with assistance from Excel, is entered for the Formula parameter. The check box for the Take Formula parameter is not checked. This means the entry for the Name parameter, ObsWestDecibel, will be the name of the output grid data layer.

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2. The Grid Calculator was executed two more times for the other two observer points. The additional output grid data layers are named ObsCenterDecibel and ObsEastDecibel. 3. The TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer contains point objects representing address points that are within the noisesheds delineated for the new bridge. The estimated dB values calculated based on the observer locations can be added to the attribute table for the TIBrAddNoise layer using the Shapes Grid/Add Grid Values to Points module. Thus, the address points will have attribute data related to estimated dB levels for each of the three observer points. I execute the Shapes Grid/Add Grid Values to Points module. 4. The parameters page for the Shapes Grid/Add Grid Values to Points module is displayed in Figure 5.0.2.

Figure 5.0.2. The parameters page for the Shapes Grid/Add Grid Values to Points module. The TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer is chosen for the >>Points parameter. The output layer will have a linked attribute table containing three additional attribute fields, one each for the three estimated dB level grid data layers. The module executes when I click on the Okay button. 5. A portion of the new attribute table is displayed in Figure 5.0.3.

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Figure 5.0.3. A portion of the new attribute table linked to the TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer. You can see that the names used in Figure 5.0.3 for the new attributes are the names of the grid data layers providing the data values. When the point shapes data layer is saved in step 6, because the attribute table is in dBase format, attribute names longer than 10 characters will be truncated to 10 characters and upper case characters will be the default. Figure 5.0.4 displays a portion of the attribute table in Figure 5.0.3 after I edited the attribute names. The option for changing field names is accessed by moving the mouse pointer into the area where attribute names display, clicking the right mouse button, and choosing the Rename Fields option at the bottom of the pop-up list of options.

Figure 5.0.4. A portion of the new attribute table for the TIBrAddNoise data layer after editing the new attribute names.

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6. The last step is to replace the older version of the TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer with the new one (using the same name) and the updated attribute file. I move the mouse pointer over the new layer name in the Data tab area of the Workspace, click the right mouse button, and choose the Save As option from the pop-up list of options.

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6.0 Assessing Noise Level Impact

Modules Used: Grid Tools/Reclassify Grid Values Shapes Grid/Add Grid Values to Points Table Calculus/Table Calculator (Shapes) Shapes Data Layers Used: TIBrAddNoise Grid Data Layers Used: TIBrGenLU TIBrMaxDbs Other: RECLASSdbLandUse Phase Description This phase describes one approach to assessing noise level impacts to address points. The first task describes how to add an attribute for maximum allowable noise levels to the TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer. The two additional tasks use this attribute to calculate the difference between the estimated noise level for an address and the maximum allowable level and to categorize this difference in terms of low, moderate or severe. 6.1 Maximum Allowable Noise Levels for Address Points by Land Use Class The estimated dB levels resulting from pile-driving for the new bridge have been added as attributes for all of the address points within the three noisesheds. In this tutorial, determination of moderate and severe impact levels is based on exceeding the maximum allowable dB levels by land use class. This table identifies general land use classes and their maximum allowable dB levels.

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Land Use Maximum Decibel Class Level Residential (1) 58 Industrial (2) 65 Transportation (3) 85 Utilities (4) 63 Commercial (5) 60 TELU (6) 60 Open Space (7) 70 Agriculture (8) 63 Forestry (9) 85 Rural (10) 58 Mineral Extraction (11) 75 Commercial Rec. (12) 70 The number in parentheses following the land use class name is the data value used for the land use class on the TIBrGenLU grid data layer. I will use the Grid Tools/Reclassify Grid Values module to create a maximum allowable dB level grid data layer using the TIBrGenLU layer as input. This new grid data layer of maximum allowable dB levels is used to provide data values for a new attribute field in the attribute table linked to the TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer. 1. I execute the Grid Tools/Reclassify Grid Values module. The parameters page (see Figure 6.1.1) is displayed.

Figure 6.1.1. The parameters page for the Grid Tools/Reclassify Grid Values module. 54

The TIBrGenLU grid data layer is chosen for the input parameter >>Grid. Output from the module is a new grid data layer. The [create] option is chosen for the output <<Reclassified Grid parameter. The option chosen for the Method parameter depends on amount of value reclassifying. The module supports changing a single value, a range of values, values based on Boolean logic, based on a table, etc. I am changing all the values except for 0 values. 2. I will provide the new values using a simple table. This is the option I choose for the Method parameter. I move the mouse pointer into the value field to the right of the Lookup Table parameter to the far right. I left click on the ellipsis that appears. A Lookup Table window displays. I then develop the lookup table displayed in Figure 6.1.2.

Figure 6.1.2. The reclassify lookup table for the TIBrGenLU grid data layer. This table is 3 columns by 13 rows. The land use class values on the TIBrGenLU grid data layer represent categorical rather than continuous type data. Therefore, each value is a unique land use class. The minimum and maximum columns for the same record contain the same values. The new column is where I enter the maximum allowable dB value for the land use class. When I finish building the table I click the Save button and save the table as a text file named RECLASSdbLandUse. I did not have to save the table but I want to be able to re-load it in case I want to experiment with other dB values. 3. Once I have defined the lookup table and the parameters on the module parameters page, I click on the Okay button to execute the module and create the maximum 55

allowable dB grid data layer for land use classes. I rename the output layer TIBrMaxDbs. 4. I use the Shapes Grid/Add Grid Values to Points module to add the information on the TIBrMaxDbs grid data layer as attribute data for address points in the TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer. 5. The parameters page for the Shapes Grid/Add Grid Values to Points module is displayed in Figure 6.1.3.

Figure 6.1.3. The parameters page for the Shapes Grid/Add Grid Values to Points module. The TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer is chosen for the >>Points input parameter. The [create] option is used for the output parameter <Result. The single entry for the >>Grids parameter is the TIBrMaxDbs grid data layer. This parameter does support multiple grid data layer entry. 6. The output from the module is a new point shapes data layer using the name of the input layer. I replace the old layer with the new one (using the same name) using the Save As command. The difference between the input and output layers is the addition of a new attribute field appended to the linked attribute table. The new field contains maximum allowable dB values, based on land use class, for each address point in the layer. The default name for the new attribute is TIBrMaxDbs. I rename the attribute TIMAXDB in the attribute table. I had to rename the attribute because the attribute table is in dBase format. This format does not allow for attribute names longer than 10 characters. Figure 6.1.4 displays a portion of the new attribute table.

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Figure 6.1.4. A portion of the new attribute table for the output TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer. This portion of the new attribute table displays information for records 223 through 236. The LUNUM attribute is the data value for land use class used in the TIBrGenLU grid data layer. The LUNAME attribute displays the text equivalent for the LUNUM number. You can see the dB values estimated for the three observer points in the columns for OBSWTDEC, OBSCTDEC, and OBSETDEC. The last column is for the new attribute just added, TIMAXDB. The new attribute is the maximum allowable dBs for an address point based on the land use class of the address point. Most of the records in this portion of the table are for address points in the Residential land use class except for record 225 that is in Rural and 226 in Commercial. The maximum allowable dBs for the Rural class is 58, the same as for Residential. The maximum allowable dBs for the Commercial class is 60 decibels. When you compare the maximum allowable dB values in the TIMAXDB field to the estimated dB values for the three observer points, you can see that records 223 through 233 all exceed the allowable amount. 6.2 The Difference Between Predicted Noise Levels and the Maximum Allowable The criterion for a moderate level of noise impact is for the estimated dB level for an address point to exceed the allowable amount from 7 to 15 decibels. The criterion for a severe level of impact is 15 decibels or more above the maximum allowable dB level for the land use category of the address. The data needed to determine moderate and severe impact levels are contained in the attribute table for the TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer. Estimated dB levels have been calculated from three different noise source points that I refer to as observer points or observer locations. I will need to apply the criteria for moderate and severe to each of the three sets of estimated dB levels. I am going to use the Table Calculus/Table Calculator (Shapes) module to identify the addresses in the TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer that have potentially moderate and severe noise impact levels. 57

The first part of this determination will involve a simple subtraction formula using the Table Calculus/Table Calculator (Shapes) module. The formula is to calculate the difference between the maximum allowable decibels by land use class and the estimated dB level based on the distance from the observer point. Here is an example using record 223 in Figure 6.1.4.

The formula subtracts the value for the OBSWSTDEC attribute field (76.334747) from the value for the TIMAXDB field (58.000000). The result is -18.334747. This means, for this address, the estimated dB level from the western-most observer, exceeds the maximum allowable level by over 18 dBs. This is in the severe impact category. Here is another example, this time using record 235 in Figure 6.1.4.

The result using the formula for this record is a difference of 1.570698 (i.e., 58.000000 56.429302). This means, for this address, the estimated dB level from the western-most observer, is below the maximum allowable amount. The subtraction formula will be used to calculate differences for each of the three observer locations using the attribute fields OBSWTDEC, OBSCTDEC, and OBSETDEC. The Table Calculus/Table Calculator (Shapes) module has a couple requirements. The attribute fields used in a formula in the module can be referenced in the formula using the actual attribute name or by referring to their position in the table. For example, if the attribute field is the 15th attribute in the table it is referred to in the formula by the notation f15. There are two ways to specify where to place the output from the formula. The Field Name parameter can be used to enter a new field name into the parameters value field. This option will be used if you use the [not set] entry for the Field parameter in the Shapes section of the parameters page. If you use this option, the new field name will be appended to the attribute table. Another option that can be used with this module is to use an existing attribute field to place the formula results. This is the option I am going to use. When this option is used, the attribute field name is entered for the Field parameter in the Shapes section of the parameters page. When you enter a value for the Field parameter, the results will be output to the field regardless of what has been entered for the Field Name parameter. I will need three attribute fields to output the results; one for each of estimated dB fields

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(OBSWTDEC, OBSCTDEC, and OBSETDEC). I am going to name these new, empty fields WTDBDIFF, CTDBDIFF, and ETDBDIFF. 1. Prior to executing the Table Calculus/Table Calculator (Shapes) module I am going to add three new attribute fields to the attribute table linked to the TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer. I move the mouse pointer over the layer name in the Data tab area of the Workspace and click the right mouse button. On the pop-up menu, toward the bottom, is the label Attributes. I move the mouse pointer over Attributes and a pop-up menu displays that includes the Show option. I choose the option Show as I want to view the attribute table for the layer. The attribute table is displayed in a table view window (see Figure 6.2.1).

Figure 6.2.1. A portion of the attribute table linked to the TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer. 2. New attribute fields are added to this table by moving the mouse pointer into the attribute field label area at the top of the table view window. I move the mouse pointer in this area and click the right mouse button. A pop-up list of Columns options displays (see Figure 6.2.2).

Figure 6.2.2. The pop-up menu of options for Columns. 3. I choose the first option, Add Field. The Add Field dialog window displays. 59

Figure 6.2.3. The Add Field dialog window. The default entry for the Name parameter is Field. In Figure 6.2.3 I have entered the name I want to use for the field. There are several different field types including one for a string or text data. I choose the 4 byte floating point type. The Insert Position and Insert Method parameters allow you to place the new attribute field in any column position in the table. I am placing the new field after the last field in the table, the TIMAXDB field. When I click on the Okay button, my new attribute is added into the table. It will be populated with zeroes. 4. I repeat the process described in step 3 to add two additional new attributes: CTDBDIFF and ETDBDIFF. As a precaution, after the 3 new attributes have been added, I re-save the layer. 5. I am now ready to populate my three new fields with data values. Figure 6.2.4 displays the parameters page for the Table Calculus/Table Calculator (Shapes) module.

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Figure 6.2.4. The Table Calculus/Table Calculator (Shapes) module parameters page. The value field to the right of the Formula parameter is where you key in the formula. The formula I am using is for a simple subtraction. The attribute value for the 29th attribute will be subtracted from the attribute value for the 26th attribute. The 29th attribute is the maximum allowable dB values for the address point based on its land use class. This is attribute TIMAXDB. The 26th attribute is the estimated dB level for the address point from the western-most pile-driving location. This attribute is named OBSWTDEC. As discussed earlier, I am chose to add new attributes to the table for the output and specifying these attribute names in the Field parameter for the input >>Shapes parameter. The attribute name entered for the Field parameter is where the output from applying the formula will be placed regardless of what is entered for the Field Name parameter. The TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer is chosen for the >>Shapes parameter. The results from applying the formula will be placed in the attribute field named WTDBDIFF. The WTDBDIFF attribute is chosen for the Field parameter. There are a couple options for the output. If the [create] option is chosen, a new version (same name) of the TIBrAddNoise layer is created and the WTDBDIFF attribute is populated with the results of applying the formula. The other choice, [not set], the one I am using, means that rather than creating a new version of the input layer, I am choosing to update the attribute table only. The results of applying the formula will populate the WTDBDIFF attribute in the table linked to the input point shapes data layer. 6. Once I have made my entries for the module parameters, I click on the Okay button and the module executes.

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7. Figure 6.2.5 displays a portion of the first 13 rows of data in the updated attribute table. This portion shows the last 5 attributes including the updated WTDBDIFF and the blank ones for CTDBDIFF and ETDBDIFF.

Figure 6.2.5. The TIBrAddNoise attribute table with the new WTDBDIFF attribute data values. You can see that the values appearing for the WTDBDIFF attribute have been correctly calculated. 8. I now execute the Table Calculus/Table Calculator (Shapes) module to calculate the dB difference values for the other two observer locations. Here is how the same portion of the attribute table displayed in Figure 6.2.5 appears after populating the three new attributes.

Figure 6.2.6. A portion of the updated attribute table for the TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer.

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The last part of this phase is to determine addresses that will experience moderate and severe impacts based on the estimated dB levels from each of the three observer locations and the difference between those estimates and the maximum allowable dB levels depending on the land use category for the address. 6.3 Categorizing Noise Level Impact as Low, Moderate, and Severe The Table Calculus/Table Calculator (Shapes) module will be used to assign a 2 for a moderate impact level and a 3 for a severe impact level to the address points. A moderate impact level is an address point predicted to experience a dB of between 7 and 15 dBs above the maximum level for the land use class for the address point; a severe impact is a dB increase of greater than 15 over the maximum allowed. The three attributes previously calculated WTDBDIFF, CTDBDIFF, and ETDBDIFF contain values for dB differences that will be used to determine the impact level category. I will use the formula below for the Formula parameter: ifelse(lt(f30,-15),3,ifelse(lt(f30,-7),2,0)) The above formula is using the variable, f30, for the WTDBDIFF attribute (the 30th attribute in the table). The formula checks the value for the WTDBDIFF attribute. If the value is less than 15 this means the value is in the severe category. If this is true, a 3 is entered into the output attribute column. If this is false, the next check is whether the value is between 7 and 15. If this is true, it means the value is in the moderate category and a 2 is entered into the output attribute column. If neither of the tests is true, a 0 is entered into the output attribute column meaning the impact is low or not significant. 1. I am first going to create three new attribute fields in the attribute table for the TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer. I will create these in a similar manner as described in the last section. The new attributes will be named WTDBLEV, CTDBLEV, and ETDBLEV and will accept 4 byte floating point type values. 2. I execute the Table Calculus/Table Calculator (Shapes) module to enter the impact levels for the first attribute, WTDBLEV. The parameters page is displayed in Figure 6.3.1.

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Figure 6.3.1. Table Calculus/Table Calculator (Shapes) module parameters page. The formula ifelse(lt(f30,-15),3,ifelse(lt(f30,-7),2,0)) is entered for the Formula parameter. The TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer is chosen for the input >>Shapes parameter. The output from applying the formula will go into the attribute field named WTDBLEV. The option for the <Result parameter is to update the attribute table rather than create a new point shapes data layer. 3. I make the above entries and click on the Okay button to execute the module. Figure 6.3.2 displays a portion of the updated attribute table.

Figure 6.3.2. A portion of the updated attribute table for records 223 through 236.

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The WTDBDIFF attribute values for records 226 through 236 are less than -7. This means the noise impact for these addresses is low or insignificant. The values entered for the WTDBLEV for these records are 0s. The WTDBDIFF attribute value for record 225 is between 7 and -15. The value entered for the WTDBLEV for this record is a 2. This is a moderate impact level. The WTDBDIFF attribute values for records 223 and 224 are greater than 15. These addresses are predicted to experience severe dB impacts and 3s are entered in the WTDBLEV attribute column. 4. I follow the same steps above and populate the attribute fields for CTDBLEV and ETDBLEV. I then re-save the TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer.

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7.0 Contacting Local Property Owners

Modules Used: Shapes Tools/Select by Attributes (Numerical Expression) Shapes Tools/Copy Selection to New Shapes Layer Shapes Data Layers Used: TIBrAddNoise TIBrImpacts GVstreams2 GVRoadsGravPav Grid Data Layers Used: TIBrRelief Phase Description The final phase involves contacting local property owners predicted to experience moderate or severe noise impacts. The attribute table for the TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer contains attributes for each address point identifying the level of impact from pile-driving equipment noise from the three observer locations. The three attributes are: WTDBLEV, CTDBLEV, and ETDBLEV. Each of these fields contains data values 0, 2, or 3. A 0 value for the address means low or not significant noise impact; a 2 means moderate noise impact; and a 3 means severe noise impact. I am going to use the Shapes Tools/Select by Attributes (Numerical Expression) module to create three new point shapes data layers, one for each category of noise impact, using the values for the attributes WTDBLEV, CTDBLEV, and ETDBLEV described above. Since a point object could potentially have a different value for each of the three attributes containing noise impact category values, I will first query each of the attributes for the worst case, the severe noise impact level. The first time I execute the module, using the WTDBLEV attribute, the Method parameter option will be new selection. The next two times I execute the module for the other two attributes, I will change the option for the Method to add to current selection. After the addresses meeting this criteria have been selected and highlighted, I will copy them to a new point shapes data layer using the Shapes Tools/Copy Selection to New Shapes Layer module. The records and attributes in the attribute table are also included when the module copies the point objects to the new layer. I am going to name the new layer TIBrSevImp. The process for creating the TIBrSevImp will be followed to create a layer containing address points predicted to have a moderate noise impact (TIBrModImp). A third layer contains all remaining addresses after those predicted to have moderate and severe impact levels are removed. This layer will be named TIBrLowImp.

GVHydroBodies TIBrSevImp TIBrModImp TIBrLowImp

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Once these three new layers are available, the name, address, city, state, and zipcode attributes in the linked attribute tables can be used with the mail-merge feature in a word processing program to prepare the correspondence for contacting the owners of the impacted addresses. This last step wont be necessary for the TIBrLowImp layer. 1. Before creating these new layers, I am going to make a copy of the TIBrAddNoise point shapes data layer and re-name it TIBrImpacts. As I produce the moderate and severe impact point shapes data layers I am going to delete the point objects from the TIBrImpacts layer after they are copied to new layers. 2. The first new point shapes data layer I am going to create is the one containing address points identified as potentially experiencing severe noise impact levels from any one of the three observer locations. The first execution of the Shapes Tools/Select by Attributes (Numerical Expression) module will search the WTDBLEV attribute in the linked attribute table for the TIBrImpacts point shapes data layer. Address points will be selected and highlighted when the value for the WTDBLEV attribute is equal to 3. Figure 7.0.1 displays the parameters page for this module.

Figure 7.0.1. The parameters page for the Shapes Tools/Select by Attributes (Numerical Expression) module. The TIBrImpacts point shapes data layer is chosen for the >>Shapes input parameter. The WTDBLEV attribute, in the attribute table linked to the layer, is chosen as the attribute that will be searched. When the search criteria is met, the address point will be selected and highlighted and can be displayed in a map view window and the selected records highlighted in the linked attribute table can be viewed. The Expression parameter contains the formula a=3. In the formula, the character a is the variable representing the attribute chosen for the Attribute parameter. There are

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several options available for the Method parameter. This module will be executed once for each of the three attributes WTDBLEV, CTDBLEV, and ETDBLEV. The results will be accumulated. So the first execution of the module the Method parameter will use the new selection option. The subsequent two executions will use the add to current selection option. Once I have made my entries, I click on the Okay button and the module executes. 3. The result of searching the WTDBLEV attribute is displayed in Figure 7.0.2.

Figure 7.0.2. The address points selected, in yellow, using the WTDBLEV attribute. The circles displayed in yellow are address points selected and highlighted by the Shapes Tools/Select by Attributes (Numerical Expression) module. The shaded relief grid data layer (TIBrRelief) serves as a backdrop along with shapes data layers for bodies of water (blue), streams (blue) and roads (red). 4. The Shapes Tools/Select by Attributes (Numerical Expression) module is now executed using the CTDBLEV attribute to search for address points where the CTDBLEV attribute contains the value 3. The option for the Method parameter is changed to add to current selection. The output is displayed in Figure 7.0.3.

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Figure 7.0.3. Address points selected using the WTDBLEV and CTDBLEV attributes. Comparing Figure 7.0.2 and Figure 7.0.3 you can visually see that additional addresses on Treasure Island were selected from the CTDBLEV attribute field. 5. The third execution of the Shapes Tools/Select by Attributes (Numerical Expression) module will use the ETDBLEV attribute. The results will be added to the results of the first two executions so add to current selection is again chosen for the Method parameter. The cumulative output is displayed in Figure 7.0.4.

Figure 7.0.4. The cumulative output of selected address points. 6. I execute the Shapes Tools/Copy Selection to New Shapes Layer module. The address points selected and highlighted from the three executions of the Shapes Tools/Select by Attributes (Numerical Expression) module will be copied to a new shapes data layer.

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This new layer will only contain point objects representing objects predicted to have a severe noise level impact from the pile-driving equipment used with the new bridge construction. I rename the output TIBrSevImp. The parameters page for the execution of the module is displayed in Figure 7.0.5.

Figure 7.0.5. The Shapes Tools/Copy Selection to New Shapes Layer module parameters page. The input for the >>Input parameter is the name of the point shapes data layer the selected address points are a part. In this instance, the address points are in the TIBrImpacts layer. When I click on the Okay button, a new point shapes data layer is created that includes only the selected address points from the TIBrImpacts layer and their associated records/attributes from the linked attribute table. I rename the output layer TIBrSevImp and save it. 7. The address points are still highlighted for the TIBrImpacts layer displayed in a map view window. I want to delete the selected and highlighted address points now that they were copied to the new layer. Before deleting the points, I need to make sure that the TIBrImpacts layer is the active layer. I do this by moving the mouse pointer over the layer name TIBrImpacts in the Tab area of the Workspace and clicking the left mouse button. This selects the layer. ) on the Tool Bar. I move the mouse pointer to Now I choose the Action tool ( within the map view window displaying the TIBrImpacts layer and the highlighted address points. I click the right mouse button and choose Delete Selected Shape(s) from the pop-up menu of options. A dialog window displays the text Delete selected shape(s). I click the Yes button at the bottom of the dialog window and the highlighted shapes are deleted from the TIBrImpacts layer. I re-save the TIBrImpacts layer. 8. I am going to create the TIBrModImp point shapes layer next. I will use the same process used to create the TIBrSevImp layer except the formula I use with the Shapes

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Tools/Select by Attributes (Numerical Expression) will be a=2. After creating and saving the TIBrModImp layer I delete the highlighted address points from the TIBrImpacts layer as described above. The remaining address points in the TIBrImpacts layer are addresses predicted to have low or no significant noise level impact. I rename the TIBrImpacts layer to TIBrLowImp and save it. 10. The attribute tables linked to the TIBrModImp and TIBrSevImp point shapes data layers use the same set of attributes for providing descriptive data for the address points. These attribute fields include fields that can be used in a mail merge feature in a word processing program: name, street address, city, state and zipcode. This concludes the tutorial. All of the data layers used in the tutorial are available in the download area. Assessing noise impact from construction projects is more complex than the approach used in this tutorial. The tools available in the SAGA GIS provide a lot of options for applying a more complex approach to this assessment. I hope the tutorial will encourage users to explore using SAGA to address a range of applications from simple to complex. Please send any comments to my e-mail address at kapcimmery at hot mail dot com. Vern Cimmery Geographer

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Appendix References Consulted Washington State Department of Transportation. Biological Assessment Preparation for Transportation Projects Advanced Training Manual, Version 02-2011/02-2012. Environmental Protection Department, The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Assessment Methodologies. Sama, Jeffrey. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation: Assessing and Mitigating Noise Impacts, 2000. Ormat Nevada Inc. Noise Impact Assessment: East Brawley Geothermal Development Project, 2008. I-INCE Technical Study Group on Community Noise. Guidelines for Community Noise Impact Assessment and Mitigation: Final Report. 2011. PND Engineering, Inc. Knik Arm Crossing Pile-Driving Noise Attenuation Measures Technical Report Final. www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-distance.htm

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