AutoSLM-SC Project Brief

As a part of a 4-year, $236.5 million rehabilitation of the Queens Midtown Tunnel of New York, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) has been working on two concurrent construction projects on the 76-year-old tunnel since Spring 2015. One of the projects is at Manhattan’s exit plaza that repairs the area’s deteriorated roadbed, some of which dates back to the 1930s. The other project, taking place overnight inside the tunnel itself, repairs damages caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. During that work, the tunnel for construction has to be closed between 10:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., Monday through Thursday and between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. on Friday.

One of the issues caused by the night work has been noise from the construction activities as well as horn honking from drivers attempting to navigate the lanes closures. In order to monitor, and to limit the impact of noise to the surrounding residential area, the MTA has specified 2 automated Sound Level Meters (SLM) with ability to capture Sound Clips for the project. The sound clip option is required to identify the type and the source in addition to the magnitude of the noise.

Specto Technology’s AutoSLM-SC (SC stands for Sound Clip) was chosen and approved for the monitoring task due to its extensive and unique features to monitor, analyze, store and transmit sound level data as well as capture, store and transmit Sound Clips (in mp3 format). It provides a fully automated data to desk solution for environmental and construction noise monitoring.

Below is a list of features of the AutoSLM-SC:

• Type 1 and Type 2 SLM compatible
• Ability to record sound clips (in mp3 file format) when triggered
• Can have multiple trigger levels at different time of day
• Rugged & weatherproof enclosure
• Data can be pushed to web-based data management software for real-time display, reporting and alarm checking
• AC powered with an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)
• Comes with an industrial PC for sound clips capturing, integrating and calculations and data uploading to the cloud
• Calculates and outputs multiple parameters including Leq, Lmax, Lmin and Ln at various of intervals (e.g. 15-min or 60-min)
• The system is fully customizable and output of other parameters may be added upon request 
• Each system may be used with a cellular modem so that data can be retrieved wirelessly, remotely and automatically

The two AutoSLM-SC have been in operation at the Queens Midtown Tunnel site since February 2016 and have been providing critical record of both the construction induced, or otherwise, noises in the project areas.

Please see links below for more details of the Queens Midtown Tunnel projects:
New 18-month phase of Queens Midtown Tunnel closure begins
Manhattan residents near Queens Midtown Tunnel fed up with construction