How to Gradually Reduce Employee Noise Exposure
Industrial plants are most often loud and dynamic work environments. Noise fields are complex with varying levels of noise produced by many different pieces of equipment, and employees spend varying amounts of time near the different noise sources. Sound levels are even impacted by the building, with taller spaces generally quieter than single story spaces, sound absorbing room finishes sucking up some of the noise, and partitions blocking sound. Measuring worker noise exposure is simple. (more)
Noise Isolation for Hospital Mechanical Rooms
Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities have requirements for large volumes of ventilation and strict control of airflow, and the greater the airflow, the greater the potential for noise. Building mechanical services equipment, fans, pumps, cooling, and heating equipment are all sources of high noise levels. When Acoustics By Design works on a new hospital, we typically expend half of our effort on attenuating building mechanical systems noise. In order to avoid the need for extensive noise and vibration isolating constructions, project designers and engineers should pay careful attention to mechanical room sizes and locations during schematic design. Here are some issues to address early on… (more)
Planning for Acoustical Separation of MRI Rooms in Hospitals
In my last post, I discussed the acoustical design of hospital patient rooms, minimizing disturbance from noise produced by activity in the corridor, by phone calls and discussions at the nurses’ stations, and by noise from nearby patient rooms. But that’s only the beginning. There are additional sources of noise in hospitals and there are more noise sensitive spaces. The truth is, healthcare facilities will only be as strong as their weakest link in the design. So what are some of the loudest noise sources and most noise sensitive rooms? (more)
Gymnasium Acoustics | The Multi-Use Problem
Gymnasiums often end up being multi-use spaces. Of course, they are used for competitive sporting events, for team practice, recreation, and for Phys Ed classes. But they are also used for school addresses, commencement ceremonies, band and choir concerts, and more. Those with stages are used for musicals, plays, and speaking events. I have been asked to help mitigate acoustical problems more often in gymnasiums than in any other type of school space; possibly more often than in any other type of space, period. And there are almost always two complaints that I hear… (more)
Sick of Loud and Noisy Patient Rooms? We Are Too.
You don’t have to spend a lot of time in hospitals to find out that patients are sick of the noise in their rooms. Press Ganey surveys, current literature on the subject, and the unsolicited comments we receive while measuring sound levels in hospitals all confirm that patients are most often displeased with the noise experienced in hospital patient rooms. Minimizing noise disturbance to patient rooms is an important aspect of acoustical design for healthcare facilities. But before we can reduce the noise levels, we need to know the sources of noise and understand the factors that influence its transmission. (more)
The Top Three Acoustical Solutions for Conference Rooms
Conference room acoustics are often overlooked in the design process, but they can quickly become a problem (and a high priority) once the room is put into use. Architects are great at designing aesthetically pleasing boardrooms and conference rooms, and when their clients see the renderings, acoustics is normally the furthest thing from their mind. Thus, the acoustical design of the boardroom goes unaddressed. But when the client moves in and has trouble holding meetings, acoustics comes to the forefront. (more)
The Problem with Pulpers | Noise and Vibration Control
We were recently called in to assist in addressing a noise issue that was the result of a university’s desire to be more “green”. In this case, we were asked to assess the noise produced in the dish wash room of a university student union. This blog is the second of a two-part post about student union acoustics, and you may want to read the first blog on College Campuses and Student Union Acoustics before continuing. (more)
College Campuses and Student Union Acoustics
At Acoustics By Design, we regularly consult on the design of College and University buildings including classroom buildings, dormitories, athletic facilities, performing arts buildings, libraries, research buildings, and student centers. These numerous building types result in our needing to address a myriad of acoustic and vibration issues. Many student centers and student unions face a similar problem: loud noise from the commercial kitchens inhibit the relaxed social environment for the students. Universities want their student unions to be a center for campus life and activity, and if the student center is too loud to provide the desired environment, students will inevitably congregate elsewhere. (more)
NICU Noise Control Research for Hospitals
The medical community and design community journals contain many papers discussing noise levels in neonatal intensive care units (NICU’s), how loud they should be and how to achieve those levels. Unfortunately, the recommended noise levels vary and the design recommendations contain few specifics that have been evaluated by qualified acoustical design professionals. Here is a sample of some of the recommended criteria. (more)
Doggy Daycare Noise Control – Acoustic Roadblocks
Are you planning to open a veterinary hospital? A doggy daycare? A kennel? A private dog park? If so, then make sure that you consider the noise issues ahead of time (i.e., the barking)! Although these types of projects only account for a small portion of our work at Acoustics By Design, we end up assisting with noise control for at least a couple of these animal facilities every year. And when it comes to building the perfect doggy daycare or kennel, there is always a common list of acoustic roadblocks. (more)
Noise Isolation for Mixed-Use Developments
In the world of architecture, we frequently hear the term “mixed-use development,” and our firm is increasingly called upon to provide mixed-use development acoustical consulting. The term “mixed-use” generally refers to a development that incorporates residential and commercial space in a close-knit fashion. Mixed-use developments have been constructed for centuries, often taking the form of residential space above retail space – such as the shopkeeper living above the shop. As industrialization increased, mixed-use fell out of favor, and segregated land-use became popular. But late in the past century, mixed-use developments resurfaced, often with the intent of revitalizing urban areas and creating walk-able communities – as opposed to communities where a person must drive a car or take some form of public transportation to perform their daily routine. (more)
How Weather Affects an Outdoor Noise Study
For many years, I worked as an acoustical consultant in Southern California. We had seasons in SoCal, but it took several years before I easily recognized the subtle differences between summer and fall or between winter and spring. Summer brought daytime temperatures in the 80’s while wintertime temperatures tended to range in the upper 60’s. But for the most part, the temperate climate meant that days would be warm, dry, and sunny and nights would be cooler, dry, and cloudless. My point: long term monitoring of outdoor noise levels and sound propagation was easy.
After ten years on the West Coast, I returned to the Midwest to work for Acoustics By Design, Inc., and found myself back in the midst of weather – real weather – blizzards, sticky summers, and thunderstorms. Most people know that weather can influence sound propagation, but by how much? (more)
The Wailing Industrial Demon Next Door
I am not about to compose a post vilifying the American industrial complex; I’m only expressing the attitude of many people that I come across who live near a noisy factory, processing plant, scrap yard, or other type of industrial facility. Perhaps in some cases, criticism by nearby residents is justified, but usually it is not, and often it is avoidable. Multiple times every year I am called in to assess industrial noise and vibration emissions to residential communities. Often I am hired by the company, sometimes by the local government, and occasionally by a residential group. And by the time I get involved, edgy relations have frequently devolved into contentious confrontations, accusations of purposeful illegalities, and claims of ill health due to noise. (more)
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