Context. Acústica Austral was brought in for the Complementary and Exceptional Addenda to the Environmental Impact Study (EIA) of the «San Antonio Outer Port» project —one of the largest port projects ever approved in SEIA history— after the previous assessment, carried out by another consultancy, had accumulated 262 authority observations related to noise and vibration. We reworked both studies and the project obtained its approval. The project (owner Empresa Portuaria San Antonio, client Jaime Illanes & Asociados, commune of San Antonio, Valparaíso Region) comprises two port terminals with simultaneous berthing of up to four 400 m Post-Panamax vessels per terminal, two quarries (Javer and Román) for breakwater and platform fill, and a rail transfer station.
Methodology — noise. One of the most comprehensive acoustic assessments in our portfolio: it integrated five noise source types —port (fixed sources), road traffic, rail traffic, quarry blasting and helicopter overflight— across the five environmental protection objects, evaluated against six standards and guides: Decree D.S. No. 38/2011, Royal Decree 1367/2007, the FTA (mobile sources), the Australian AS 2187-2 standard (blasting), the Swiss OPB regulation (helicopters) and ISO 9613 for propagation, modelled in CadnaA. The baseline combined 41 discrete measurements and 23 continuous 24-hour measurements, in daytime and night-time periods. The study also designed a full package of acoustic control measures (fixed and mobile barriers, silencers, soundproofed cabins and enclosures, acoustic blankets and rail joint welding).
Methodology — vibration. The vibration assessment covered fixed sources, road and rail traffic and blasting, in accordance with the FTA guide (human perception and structural damage) and the Australian AS 2187-2 standard, using General and Detailed Vibration Analysis. The baseline included 53 discrete vibration measurements at human settlement and cultural heritage receptors.
Results. The noise study concluded that the project does not exceed the limits or criteria of any of the five protection objects: fixed sources comply with D.S. No. 38/2011 and Royal Decree 1367/2007, traffic complies with the FTA, blasting complies with AS 2187-2 (using plasma technology in the first metres of vertical advance) and helicopters comply with the reference standard. The vibration study ruled out impact across all phases and sources; only one receptor requires mitigation measures for blasting vibration. Both studies supported the project’s environmental approval.
