Important Facts On Environmental Noise Control

By Eugenia Dickerson


Noise can simply be described as unwanted or annoying sound. Significantly high noise levels negatively impact on the human population both emotionally and physically. A noisy environment is not only difficult to work in but poses a significant health risk as well. Persons that work in such environments need to undergo regular medical check-ups so that they can be screened for hearing impairment. The main purpose of environmental noise control is to make the acoustic environment better.

There are many sources of this type of pollution other than the industrial sources. The commonest causes include architecture, the transport industry and urban planning. Air and road traffic are considered the biggest sources of pollution worldwide. Some sources are fairly easy to bring under control while others are a major challenge.

Different methods have been used to manage interior sound levels. These include party wall designs, exterior walls, and floor and ceiling assemblies. Rooms designed for specific purposes like entertainment halls, recording rooms and auditoria generate sound which can be contained by constructing sound absorbers or baffles. Sound masking as opposed to proofing refers to active addition of sounds to minimize the perception unwanted sounds.

Development of hybrid vehicles in efforts to control road traffic sources will need to attain a market share of about fifty percent to have a significant impact on the streets. Improving tire tread designs for trucks better shielding diesel stacks are some of the ways of curbing noise at source level. Speed control is effective since the minimum sound emissions come from vehicles moving at a speed of at least thirty kilometres per hour.

Aircrafts with quitter engines are now being adopted by a number of designers and this has gone a long way into making the environment better. Restricting flights in some sensitive areas also helps in managing the pollution. Restriction can be done through allocation of specific times for flights, allocating specific paths, runways and so on. The main disadvantages of doing this include inconveniences to travellers and unfavourable flight economics.

A variety of materials and finishes can be used to in acoustic walls and ceiling panels. The ideal panels are those that do not interfere with the substrate. To maximise absorption, fabric covers are incorporated. Windows to buildings can be modified in manner that controls sound movement. To prevent sound transmission from outside, thicker or double glazed windows may also be used.

Noise from industrial equipment can be reduced by redesigning the machinery to operate in a manner less prone to produce extreme sounds. Additionally, workers can be provided ear protection equipment, shock mounting source equipment and creation of solid barriers. With regard to more conventional office environments, remedies may also involve researching for silent office equipment such as printers and photocopy machines.

Well planned environmental noise control can eliminate a key component of industrial, recreational or road traffic impact on the surrounding environment. Summarily, the available techniques include sound insulation, absorption, vibration, damping and isolation. Sound insulation introduces a mass barrier to prevent sound transmission. Damping works by extracting vibration energy and dissipating as heat from the thin sheet.




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