Environmental Assessment
Volume C-5.5
Slurry Pipeline
Traffic
changes in noise level would occur based on the number of similar vehicles on
the roadways.
The change in the total number of vehicles on RN2 during construction is less
than 1%. The changes in various vehicle types range from 0% for private cars
and <1% for buses (people transport) to as high as 2% for goods trucks. Changes
in truck and bus traffic are considered more important since larger vehicles
typically generate more noise than private cars.
The changes in traffic can also be stated from the receiving environment point of
view as the number of vehicle “pass-bys” per hour. Vehicles generate noise each
time they pass a noise receiver; each “pass-by” is a noise event. Assuming 80%
of traffic occurs during daylight hours (taken as 14 hours per day) and that
project-related traffic will also be during daylight hours, a change of up to one
vehicle per hour can be expected. Table 5.5-5 provides an analysis.
Table 5.5-5 Number of Vehicle Pass-Bys (Noise Events) per Daylight Hour
24-hour traffic volume between Moramanga and Toamasina
(at edge of Moramanga)
Vehicle Type
Minimum of
Weekend/
Weekday
Number Due to
Project
Total Pass-Bys
per Hour
private cars
14
0
14
transports for people (buses)
12
<1
12-13
transports for goods (trucks)
20
<1
20-21
two-wheeled vehicles, motorized
20
0
20
Total
66
<1
66-68
Changes to noise levels on local pipeline access roads depend on the amount of
existing traffic. In general, existing traffic levels are very low. For the existing
portions of the roads, the amount of project traffic is expected to increase during
construction, with an increase in noise levels. For portions of the new access
roads, noise levels will increase since there is no existing traffic. The amount of
traffic along the access roads is small, averaging less than one vehicle per hour or
six vehicles per day during construction.
Vibration
The assessment of ground vibration from traffic focuses on large motorized
vehicles (buses and goods transport trucks) only. The primary sources of
vibration from motorized vehicles are:
Ambatovy Project
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January 2006
