Quiet Construction in a Busy City

摘要

As a driving force of economic growth, construction activities associated with infrastructural development in highly compacted metropolitan cities are inevitable. However, noise from these activities is often a concern to the community. This is particularly so for Hong Kong as it further develops and diversifies itself at the forefronts of various industries. Typical ways to control noise from construction activities include applying standards for controlling noise at source; site boundaries, and at the receiver such as a residence. No matter which standard is used, the choice of construction method is often critical, both in complying with the standards and, to certain extent, in striking a balance among the need for meeting tight construction timeframes and the quest for quieter living environment. In Hong Kong, rising expectation from the community nowadays also steers more to be done to satisfy mutual interests of all stakeholders. In this regard, the authority has adopted a partnership approach with the construction trade to identify and encourage the use of quieter technologies in place of conventional noisier methods to further minimize construction noise impact. This paper will describe the efforts and means in promoting quieter construction methods in Hong Kong. Examples and the effectiveness of these quieter construction means in protecting the noise environment while preserving the interest of the local industry will also be discussed.