Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Roadway Construction Noise Model (RCNM)

Roadway construction is often conducted in close proximity to residences and businesses and should be controlled and monitored in order to avoid excessive noise impacts. To aid in this process, the Volpe Center Acoustics Facility, in support of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), has developed a construction noise screening tool. The FHWA Roadway Construction Noise Model (RCNM) is a newly developed national model for the prediction of construction noise. The model is based on the construction noise prediction spreadsheet developed for the Central Artery/Tunnel Project in Boston, MA (CA/T Project or ``Big Dig'') by Erich Thalheimer of Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, Inc. The CA/T Project is the largest urban construction project ever conducted in the United States and has the most comprehensive noise control specification ever developed in the United States. RCNM incorporates the CA/T Project's noise limit criteria and extensive construction equipment noise database, where these parameters can be modified according to each user's needs. Users can also activate and analyze multiple pieces of equipment simultaneously and define multiple receptor locations, including land-use type and baseline noise levels, where RCNM will calculate sound level results for multiple metrics.