Sound Advice
Volume 11, Issue 3, 2008

Don't Forget Noise!

 With the economy in a scary free-fall, we in the Architecture / Engineering / Consulting field are feeling the pinch of the dramatic decrease in private sector projects. Residential development, reeling from the subprime credit collapse, has all but dried up. The Nation seems to be holding its breath, stuck in wait-and-see mode, hypnotized by the daily stock market rollercoaster. Adding to the uncertainty, after a hotly-contested presidential race we await the installation of a new administration.

Serendipitously, despite all this uncertainty and its attendant reluctance to move forward until we’re more confident of what the future holds, bond funds are now enabling public agencies and local governments to forge ahead with significant infrastructure projects. As a result, the collective attention of our industry has turned its focus onto the vista of fully-funded projects: freeway improvements, street widenings, railroad grade separations, water and wastewater facility designs and improvements, and public facility expansions and enhancements.

The Requests for Proposal (RFPs) published by public agencies for these types of projects generally list required disciplines such as civil engineering, architecture, construction and project management, structural and geotechnical engineering, and sometimes, acoustical engineering. If the RFP happens to be for the design or upgrade of a freeway or major arterial, the design engineers involved realize that they’ll need the advice of an experienced, competent acoustical consultant familiar with Caltrans and FHWA standards and procedures in order to provide adequate, effective soundwalls, whether the RFP specifically lists acoustical engineering as a required discipline or not.

Likewise, RFPs for street widening projects that add lanes and result in traffic noise being brought closer to homes, businesses and other buildings along the street come with inherent impacts that need to be addressed. Again, it’s obvious that for this type of noise problem you’ll need to show your client that you have an acoustical consultant on your team with the expertise to provide practical, effective solutions.

However, if you receive an RFP that doesn’t specifically request acoustical engineering, don’t take it to mean that noise isn’t an issue. It may have been overlooked. For example, a recent request for proposal we received for the expansion of a water treatment facility included the addition of two powerful new pumps and the laying of new pipelines. The list of required disciplines did not include “Acoustical Engineering.” A phone conversation with the project manager at the agency that published the RFP confirmed my suspicion that noise was going to be a big issue because the treatment facility was located in a residential neighborhood. Not only that, but with the addition of two new pumps, there would most likely be OSHA noise issues for the employees working inside the facility. They just forgot to include a request for an acoustical consultant.

This kind of omission can be very expensive for the client. Noise and vibration problems that are not addressed at the project design stage—either because they weren’t thought of or weren’t considered important—are often far more expensive to resolve once the project is built. In some cases, noise and vibration impacts may even be impossible to mitigate after the fact, which can have legal consequences for the client.

Another type of RFP where noise control is frequently overlooked is in the design, expansion or rehabilitation of schools and college classrooms. Local noise ordinance standards dictate maximum exterior-to-interior noise levels in classrooms and an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guideline provides recommendations for interior acoustics such as reverberation and room-to-room noise transfer. 

Excessive exterior-to-interior noise, HVAC noise, classroom-to-classroom noise transfer or high reverberation can interfere with listening and comprehension to the point where learning is hindered. And yet, the requirement for acoustical engineering is seldom included (unless the RFP is for a library or auditorium). The hallmark of a well-designed educational facility is not only its aesthetic appeal, its being built on time and within-budget, and perhaps its LEED certification, but also its fundamental suitability as a collection of spaces in which people can actually learn. A professional acoustical consultant can provide appropriate recommendations to create a quiet, effective learning environment that makes the project a success for its intended purpose.

Noise can also creep in where there is no stated noise source in the project RFP. An example of this is an RFP to add lighting to a neighborhood park. At first blush, it may appear that the only environmental issue is the intrusion of glare onto the surrounding properties. However, new lighting will facilitate nighttime games such as baseball and soccer. These in turn introduce new traffic, crowd and game noise in the evenings, resulting in new noise exposure levels for the residents in the vicinity of the park. A lighting issue quickly turns into a noise issue.

So in the rush to get proposals out of the door, don’t forget noise! And although some multi-discipline firms may offer noise consulting services, for experience you can count on, add a dedicated acoustics professional such as Wieland Acoustics to your team.  In your proposal, you’ll demonstrate to your client a more comprehensive understanding of the project and your commitment to delivering a better designed, higher quality product.

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