Marine Acoustics for motors June 9, 2008
Posted by allnoisecontrol in Noise Control Questions.Tags: boat, engine noise, marine acoustics
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What options are there for blocking noise from i/o boat motors
Marine products need to be produced to withstand the harsh marine environments. Our
best product would be Vibration Damping & Noise Tiles . While these are widely used underneath equipment to reduce equipment vibration, they can also be cut and layered inside compartments and tucked into tight spots to deal with engine noise and the added benefit of helping vibrations where equipment may be touching or close to touching. A similair product and just as durable is our mass loaded vinyl barrier. This can be affixed to the compartment and areas surrounding
Where pipes and hoses come in contact with the boat or where they travel through compartments a combination of pipe wrap or duct lagging can be used as the noise does travel from the engine through houses and to the fiberglass structure of the boat. Reducing all these areas of contact will help. This can also be mounted on the surface facing the passenger area of the boat if the engine is beneath a bench or removable panels in a dry compartment.
Hope these suggestions help and happy boating.
Jayson
Controlling noise in adjoined spaces, typical in shared commercial/retail spaces February 25, 2008
Posted by allnoisecontrol in Childcare, Commercial, Retail & Office Spaces, Noise Control Questions.Tags: acoustics, commercial acoustics, massage therapy offices, noise control
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Another post by a visitor that will be sure to help anyone in shared commercial spaces with noise coming in from adjoined spaces which is a typical situation found in commercial and retail spaces
We are a massage therapy business and need to block the noise coming through the walls and across the drop ceiling from the business next door, which has loud screaming children and music.
Which would be the most effective way to block the noise, on their side of the wall or on our walls? Both sides of ceilings?
We need absoulte quiet for our business.
Any suggestions would be most appreciated!?
Thank you,?
Thanks for your question Kelley, this is a complex noise problem and due to the nature of your business and the business in the shared space, a very important one.
The solutions provided here can be applied to any shared commercial retail or office space from store to store, office to office or room to room.
The factors we will address are the ceiling ( drop ceiling noise, other ceiling materials ) and wall noise
First, I have to assume that most of the noise comes
Drop ceilings are notorious for allowing noise to travel. They have open space that carries vibrations easily across the open areas above them. Not to mention the grid that connects to all the walls and suspension ties that connect the ceiling to the most often steel rafter ceiling. All these materials allow for a conduit for noise to travel along… both the open space and the construction materials.
Solutions for Ceiling: There are quite a few products that can assist with this. For starters, replacing standard drop ceiling tiles with acoustic fiberglass ceiling tiles or melamine acoustic tiles. Ceiling tiles will stop noise transmission through them as well as improve acoustics in the space with their absorbent properties. These also are known to improve aesthetic look of the space.
Secondly there are special ceiling tile barriers that can be laid atop the ceiling tiles and grid. These are fiberglass with barrier composite that will block the extra noise travelling through the ceilings. Used in the same manner can be a mass loaded vinyl barrier that is a heavy “sheet” that is a noise barrier.
Lastly, products like ceiling clouds, or acoustic banners can add a professional look to the space while helping absorb noise. By absorbing the noise before it hits the ceiling will essentially lessen the noise transmitting through the ceiling.
Solutions for Walls:
For walls there are two treatment techniques – each can be used alone or in unison. The first is an option if remodeling or new construction is in progress. Mass loaded vinyl sound barrier can be installed on studs, beneath the sheet rock and is incredibly effective in stopping noise in it’s tracks from travelling through walls. This can also be affixed to existing sheet rock and another layer of sheet rock installed over it sandwiching the material.
Second option are wall panels. When affixed to walls on the noise source side they will absorb the loud noises softening the noise that hits the walls therefore lessening the noise travelling through the walls. The panels will also soften and lower the noise level in the room the noise originates from.
Now that the materials are explained I’ll addressed your question as to what is the most effective way, your side, their side, both sides etc.
The best way is implementing on both sides. The vinyl sound barrier between walls is obviously on a shared wall and only needed in one of the rooms, however using the vinyl sound barrier in a double studded scenario with space between the walls dramatically increases STC ratings ( significantly stops noise transmission ). As for the ceiling treatments, if it is done on the noise source side you’ll have better results because it is containing the noise. But implementing on both sides will only improve results. For example, using better acoustic tiles on the noise source side and using ceiling tile barriers laid atop the “quiet” side would be ideal. Laying ceiling tile barriers on both sides of the ceiling would only decrease noise further.
So for the ultimate results, both sides can benefit from the treatments above. In general, the side originating the noise will benefit more from the absorption materials as they will reduce the noise waves hitting the walls and materials that travel into the quite space.
All the materials used can be found on our corporate site . But we have just recently launched a site dedicated to our commercial division site, www.allcommercialnoise.com which has a dedicated selection of products used for commercial and retail spaces.
I hope this helps you decide how to treat this noise problem in your space.
Industrial Noise from stamping plant reaching Residential Neighborhood August 31, 2007
Posted by allnoisecontrol in Industrial, Noise Control Questions.add a comment
Question:
I need to reduce the noise level reaching a residence located approximately 150 feet from an industrial metal stamping plant. The plant external wall is standard cement block. Would it be feasible to fill the cement block cores with a sound absorbing foam that could be sprayed in as a semi-liquid? I also am interested in applying material inside this plant wall to further reduce the external noise situation. What are the range of choices vs. cost?
Thanks for any help you can provide ….
Larry
ANSWER:Thanks for sending us your question. Thanks for your question. Acoustic blankets are the premium product for in-plant applications such as yours. Filling the cement blocks with a foam could be a bit costly and labor intensive and not as effective as acoustic blankets alone. Certainly any additional measures taken will help reduce the noise.
For example, since noise travels along contstruction material, if you have pipes or electrical conduits exiting the building in the direction of the residential area, you will want to use a product like Acoustic Pipe wrap and barrier found on this page ( will open a new window ). This will reduce the sound waves & vibration travelling alont those conduits bringing sound outside.
For your main source, to absorb equipment noise from your stamping presses, you’ll want to if possible isolate the noise by wrapping or enclosing loud sections that can be enclosed. The purpose here is to block the sound transmission more than absorb it so it does not have a chance to reach the residential neighborhood. Fastening our Acoustic blankets & sound curtains ( will open a new window ) will work well for noise abatement. Sound will be blocked from reaching the walls and travelling to the outside. The blanket material can be easily and cost-effectively attached to the cement block and/or as I mentioned before, as screens or enclosures closer to or wrapped on particular equipment.
The Acoustic blankets should also be enclosed around other noisy equipment adding to the overall sound generated from your stamping equipment. Generators and other such mechanicals are what I’m referring to… in fact one of the most common uses for our acoustic blanket is stopping generator noise. Doors and windows are another easy escape for sound and we have a specialty product that is a fitted acoustic door panel using our blanket material (will open new window)which will be one more step in reducing and stopping the noise leaving your plant. We also carry all the necessary blanket and sound curtain hardware for installations.
Furthermore, if you have metal open ceilings as I imagine the sound will transfer through the gridwork and metal (and yes wood) structures and that vibration of material will carry the sound to the outside. Sound will escape gridwork from drop ceilings, skylights, exhaust pipes and electrical conduits that all may exit through the ceiling. Using our HVAC Pipe Wrap Barrier will reduce that from happening.
If there is a drop ceiling, then using a Ceiling Tile Barrier laid atop the grid will significantly reduce noise from escaping.. however I imagine that your ceiling is open and mostly of metal, in which case added baffles will help absorb extra sound waves that are bouncing around your facility looking for exit gaps and materials to vibrate and travel through. Our acoustic blankets for heavy industrial plants are indeed available as baffles, and we have fire rated industrial foams (scroll toward the bottom to see the FireFlex products) that serve this purpose.
I believe the following measures will give you a great range of choices each and everyone of them proven acoustic soundproofing material that will work hard inside an industrial in plant environment such as your stamping plant. All of which are more cost effective and will eliminate more noise then simply filling the cement block as the actual cement material (the concrete itself) without interruption shares the inside and outside air allowing that to be a conduit for escaping noise.
NRC vs STC acoustic properties & what’s most important to who… May 2, 2007
Posted by allnoisecontrol in Noise Control Questions.3 comments
Question:
STC means how well the product stops or blocks sound from getting into or out of the room. Is noise absorption the level of noise that is generated from within the area that bounces off the material/wall? I want to make sure I understand the difference between them. Also, which one is more important to people?
ANSWER:Thanks for sending us your question. Noise absorption is one of those words/phrases that take on many levels and meanings. Noise absorption does typically refer to the absorbent type materials that one uses on ceilings, walls and floors to reduce the noise reverberation (which is sound bouncing off surfaces). However the technical term to compare apples to apples and STC to STC is actually referred to as NRC. NRC = Noise Reduction Coefficient.
NRC is representation of the amount of sound energy which is absorbed while striking a particular surface or material. For example NRC of 0 means ideal reflection. NRC of 1 indicates perfect absorption.
You’ll note the NRC variable on a frequency chart which typically is 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz and 2000 Hz which general encompass fundamental frequencies of typical human speech. NRC essentially simplifies the quantification of how a surface will absorb human speech. The best materials for improving speech intelligibility and absorbing these sounds are, noise absorption products (bringing us in full circle to how the term is often used as a less technical reference to NRC – Noise Reduction Coefficient.
As to which is more important to people…that is a question that requires information about the acoustic problem trying to be corrected. In general speech / human voice are important for application such as churches, office settings, corporate, retail, telemarketing scenarios. You’re trying to improve things like worker productivity and customer experience through improving acoustics – speech intelligibility, reduction of reverberation, echo and other such problems. This is where NRC is most likely a priority.
STC is a priority in industrial settings where you’re attempting to block a noise sound source (equipment in plants, noisy facilities, manufacturing, warehousing etc). Most people looking for this are preventing sound from transmitting from the source and/or preventing the sound from travelling into neighboring spaces, office / work areas etc. STC is also synonymous with OSHA regulations and the Health and Safety of workers and constant exposure to particular decibel levels can create health problems.
All Noise Control – Noise Control & Soundproofing Specialists
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