On Shaky Ground | Healthcare Vibration Problems
A friend of mine recently went to an eye appointment at a doctor’s office where outpatient surgeries are performed. The floor was noticeably shaking as a result of vibration energy from the air handling unit directly above the office. He asked the doctors if they have problems with sensitive medical instrumentation, such as data that seem erroneous. While the doctors didn’t directly admit to having any problems, he could see the look of concern and alarm on their faces, as if my friend had psychic powers to know something was wrong with their instruments. They were extremely interested in what my friend told them about how excessive vibration can be the source of errors, which apparently hadn’t occurred to them before. (more)
Are Construction Administration Services Really That Important?
For many of our larger projects, we offer Acoustical Consulting Construction Administration Services as an additional option. Unfortunately, not all clients invest money on this service. Our frustration extends well beyond the revenue side of the project (the CA services are usually a very reasonable addition to the project budget, relative to Design Services). Sometimes our clients opt out of CA services, ending our involvement with the project after a review of the construction drawings and the specifications. We find that many clients view the additional services as non-essential. After all, “all the information is in the drawings and the specifications.” I would completely agree with the sentiment in an ideal world, but experience has shown this world is rarely, if ever, ideal. There are some clients, however, that have welcomed this form of service from our company, and I’d like to share one of their successes. (more)
Psychoacoustics: Annoyance from Tonal vs. Broadband Sounds
For today’s topic, let’s think of driving our car with the wind rushing by, when all of a sudden our attention is drawn by that annoying squeak coming from the dashboard. The changing of the squeak with time was the topic of a recent blog, but this time we’ll examine its tonal nature. (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)
An Opportunity Lost? GM’s Saturn Division – Success Squandered or Just Delayed?
Early in my career, I was a young acoustics engineer working at the General Motors “Noise and Vibration Laboratory” (NVL) where our function was to provide automotive noise and vibration control solutions to the various vehicle development teams. At one point, my job was to lead the design and development of the noise control (“Sound Package”) solutions for the original Saturn vehicle line. So when I saw the recent news about Roger Penske & Penske Automotive Group acquiring the Saturn brand from General Motors, I found myself thinking back on the glory days of Saturn: what made them so unique, and what solutions will bring them through the current economic recession? (more)
Rooftop Roulette | Noise and Vibration Isolation for Air Handlers and Mechanical Units
Over the years as an acoustical consultant I’ve seen a lot of architectural firms locate rooftop air handling units over or near acoustically sensitive spaces; then they put up resistance to doing the necessary extensive noise controls that are needed for such a situation. The protest usually includes “but we’ve never had to do that in the past…” I call this rooftop roulette, because while not incorporating noise control design may have worked in the past, it does not guarantee future success. (more)
What’s Shakin’ in Healthcare
Unfortunately, sometimes it’s the walls, the floor, or the ceiling. It seems like every hospital I’ve visited in the last five years is under construction, renovating their current space or planning for large additions. With all the changes, it’s easy to forget about the “unseen” aspects of the design, such as Mechanical Noise and Vibration Control.
A common problem is loud mechanical units going in over operating suites. Vibration and noise from the mechanical units can cause problems with the medical equipment inside the suite. Too much noise and vibration can ultimately compromise the accuracy of the equipment. This can lead to misinterpretation of medical data and serious health issues. Operating suites are also very active places with lots of health caregivers interacting with each other. Excessive noise levels in the operating room can cause communication issues at a critical moment in time. (more)
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