Whether we like it or not, noise will always form part of our daily lives.
If left unattended, the impact of noise could have a profound negative effect on our lives. Effects can result in fatigue, learning difficulties and various effects on physiological and psychological health effects on humans.
Noise sources can be many, including, noise at work, environmental, vehicles, building noise, industrial processes and people. An article out this week on the Daily Times details the negative effects of noise on humans.
To remediate these noise sources, noise needs to be treated to an acceptable level. There are acceptable levels for sources set by legislation which must be dealt with by manufacturers and employers.
Acoustic solution providers, are noise control experts and have implemented solutions and developed products to curtail the impact of loud sound emissions, whether the noise comes from vehicles, environmental, building or industrial sources.
There are several strategies for tackling noise problems which can be used in combination or separately depending on the problem.
· Sound absorbent treatment can be used to treat noise levels within an enclosed space. This can result in lower levels breaking out and /or improved noise conditions within the space.
· Airborne Sound insulation treatment is designed to reduce noise radiating from a source or improve the sound reduction index of partitions already enclosing the source. The design of these treatments depends on the problem e.g. engine noise in a vehicle cab or or intrusive music heard from the apartment above.
· Structure borne noise is typically used to treat lower frequency noise and can involve the use of vibration control mounts, panel damping or structural isolation. Correct vibration control is important for plant equipment (air cooled condensers, air handling units, boilers and steam generators, centrifugal fans, engine drive generators and pumps) adjacent to noise sensitive locations.
· Acoustic screens , including flexible acoustic screens, rigid acoustic screens and timber acoustic screens are used where a full enclosure isn’t possible. They can be effective if used in the correct application but consideration must be taken of the inherent limiting factor of noise diffracting over the top.
· Silencers are an effective treatment for noise in airflows, such as fan out lets, the key design criteria are the length of the silencer and back pressure imposed on the system.
In addition to acoustic testing, Ventac provide a full comprehensive range of acoustic products being a complete acoustics solution provider. The company has over forty years of experience in the industry and a range of products to control noise.
The technical team at Ventac, have the expertise and knowledge to advise prospective and current customers about the best solution to meet their acoustic needs. To meet this objective, the technical team employed at Ventac’s Acoustic Research Laboratory spend a great deal of time both analysing noise problems and determining solutions to reduce the impact of noise.
Whats your biggest noise challenge?
Lets us know below in the comments.
To find out more about how we can help with your noise problem, contact us on 045 851500 or info@ventac.com
Additional Resources
- Noise Nuisance by the Citizens Information Ireland
- Decibel Hell: The Effect Of Living In A Noisy World published by the EHP
- Childrens Health and The Environment by The World Health Organisation
