Measurement and Modelling of Underwater Noise from Pile Driving

Many coastal and offshore construction activities require the driving of piles into the seabed, either using impact or vibratory pile drivers. Impact pile driving produces an intense impulsive underwater noise that has been associated with fish deaths at very short range, whereas vibratory pile driving produces a lower level continuous noise. Because of the high sound levels involved, noise from pile driving may have an adverse impact on marine animals, and its characteristics are therefore of considerable interest. This paper presents the results of measurements of underwater noise from pile driving that have been made at a variety of locations around Australia, and presents the results of some attempts to use acoustic propagation modelling to extrapolate these results to other locations.