Smith, Fause & McDonald, Inc.

• Sycamore Creek Residential Community

Riverside County, California

• Rugged 1,000 acre site of a proposed 1,700 home residential subdivision surrounded by two 24-hour operating sand and gravel mines to the South and West and a freeway to the north.
• SFMI provided 12 days of "round-the-clock" recording of the noise impact produced by the mines, freeway and aircraft, using:
• Two 14 channel audio recorders, one at the site, one at SFMI
• 11 field microphone assemblies, planted on the affected areas
• 30,000 feet of cable
• SMPTE Time Code synchronization

Each recorded tape was shipped to the office to analyze the data on a daily basis. A detailed analysis was then prepared from 2,500 hours of calibrated recording, in accordance with conditions of 4 different community noise standards, representing 23 different metrics including:

• 6 different L_n's,
• Hourly and Short L_eq,
• Total Sample L_max,
• CNEL and L_dn,
• Statistical Histograms and
• Peak Spectral Impacting

Through use of 3-D acoustical propagation calculations and data analyzed above, SFMI developed "innovative" and "economical" mitigation measures. SFMI prepared two comprehensive mitigation reports (mining and freeway) including over 150 presentation charts.  The reports allowed the client to not only obtain an approval for site development from the Riverside County Planning Commission, but also to recover major developable land from a proposed buffer zone, resulting in hundreds of additional houses.

Client: Bramalea California, Inc., Irvine, California

• Rolling Ridge Estates, County of San Bernadino, California

Evaluated development of a 78 unit single family dwelling subdivision at the intersection of two major roads.  Measurement included 24 hour on site CNEL evaluation coupled with projection of future delivery truck activities from a proposed shopping center across the street.

SFMI's cost effective mitigation measure made effective use of the natural depression of the site allowing low impact levels in the backyards, while achieving acceptable interior levels by specifying appropriate window and wall constructions.

Complete review of working drawing set for development on behalf of County to ensure compliance with recommendations developed during the preceding phase.

Client: Bramalea California, Inc., Costa Mesa, California