Planning for Better Acoustic Control in Building?

The acoustic feature of a building can be taken care at the initial stages of planning of the project. The ignorance at the initial stage would force us to make use of costly techniques at later stages.
The site planning initiates to arrange the building in such a way that minimum exposure to noise is there. When a project has been proposed to initiate a noise sensitive activity, then acoustic planning would help in reduction of noise impact to a far extend.
Construction Site Planning for Better Acoustic Control in Building

Construction Site Planning for Better Acoustic Control in Building

Hence based on the land details and project plan, following methods can be employed to decrease noise impact:
  1. Setting up Distance
  2. Placement of non-residential elements as buffers
  3. Buildings acting as shields
  4. Building orientation away from noise
The above-mentioned techniques are explained in the following:

1. Setting up the Distance

The distance between the noise source and the noise receiving building is an efficient parameter that can be increased to reduce the intensity of noise reaching the receiver. As the distance increases the intensity of the noise decreases.
Wherever there is an option to place a building far away from the noise source, we must adopt this. Because this method alone can solve many noise impact problems.
This method is more applicable for high-rise buildings, as it is very difficult to provide them with acoustic shield, due to their height as shown in figure-1.
Noise Barrier for Buildings
Fig.1: The Noise Barrier only Shields Lower Floors
For example, it is better to build the structure at an appreciable distance away from the highway, to reduce the impact of noise formed from high traffic.

2. Placement of non-residential elements as buffers

Another method is making use of noise compatible land areas, which is to be located in between the noise source and the receiver. These land areas may have non-residential elements.
A proper planning is done to arrange this element between the two units, say the highway (noise source) and the residential units (receiver). It should be kept in mind that the compatible unit should be near to the source.
Figure-2 shows a real arrangement of acoustic planning. Here the parking garage behaves as the noise compatible area. The main sources of traffic are Fitzgerald Expressway and Callahan Tunnel as shown in figure-2.
Parking Garage for Better Acoustic Control in Building
Fig.2: Parking Garage for Better Acoustic Control in Building
The garage not only behaves as a compatible area but also act as a convenience for the occupants residing to park their vehicle. So, the planning method chosen is compatible with everything surrounding it.

3. Building acting as shields

This planning makes use of already existing buildings as barriers for buildings located parallel but far away, from the former. If a row of buildings (B1) are located near to a highway, buildings (B2) can be constructed in the back of this row such a way that, B1 shields B2 from the traffic noise.
When the barrier buildings are subjected to high noise, acoustic shielding is provided. When a situation arises, where this method does not work, we plan the kitchen and bathroom as facing towards the noise and the other rooms away from the noise. Under the extreme situation, the windows and door facing the noise are shielded.

4. Building orientation away from noise

Special planning in the orientation of the building or the activity area would help in reducing the impact of noise on it. Buildings that have openings or rooms facing towards high noise source will have high discomfort.
So, it is better to arrange it in such a way that it is more exposed to certain natural features. If we lack such features certain artificial features can be created that give a better beauty as well as reduces direct exposure to the noise.

Examples of Acoustic Planning Techniques

1. An example showing the location of noise-compatible uses near a highway (West Street) in Springfield, Massachusetts. It is clear from the plan that parking spaces, ends of buildings, and a baseball diamond are located near to the highway.
A berm is constructed shielding the residential units. Trees are planted to shield residences from traffic noise.
Acoustic Control for Residential Buildings
Fig.3: Acoustic Control for Residential Buildings
2. As shown in figure-4, the residential units are covered by the high traffic noise impact by means of commercial buildings, that is not a part of residential units. These commercial buildings act as compatible areas, shielding the residential units.
Commercial Buildings Shielding Noise for Residential Buildings
Fig.4: Commercial Buildings Shielding Noise for Residential Buildings

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

40+ Construction Tools List with Images for Building Construction

Image
Construction tools list for building construction works such as concrete, brick masonry, leveling, wood works, floor works, slab works, brick laying, plastering etc. is provided. Every construction tool is necessary to achieve good results in the whole project. Along with these tools, the workers should also use some safety tools to prevent them from the unexpected accidents. Construction Tools List for Building Construction Some important construction tools and their uses are listed below: Bolster Boning rod Brick hammer Bump cutter/screed Chisel Circular saw Concrete mixer Cordless drill Crowbar Digging bar End frames Float Gloves Hand saw Helmet Hoe Iron pan Jack plane Ladder Line and pins Mason’s square Measuring box Measuring tape Measuring wheel Pick axe Plumb bob Plumb rule Polishers Putty knife Rammer Rubber Boots Safety glasses Safety helmet Sand screen machine Scratchers Sledge hammer Spade Spirit level Straight edge brushes Til...
Read more

Building Materials properties and their Importance in Construction

Image
Building materials or construction materials are the major requirement in this modern age of technology. There are many types of building materials used for different construction works. Properties of Building Materials For a material to be considered as building material, it should have required engineering properties suitable for construction works. These properties of building materials are responsible for its quality and capacity and helps to decide applications of these material. Such properties of building materials are categorized as follows. Physical properties Mechanical properties Chemical properties Electrical properties Magnetic properties Thermal properties Physical Properties of Building Materials These are the properties required to estimate the quality and condition of the material without any external force. The physical properties of engineering materials are as follows. Bulk density Porosity Durability Density Density index Specific gravity ...
Read more

How to Prevent Errors During Setting Out Building Plan on Ground?

Image
Setting out building plan on ground is one of the most significant steps in building constructions and any errors at this stage would cause considerable problems, if it is not tackled immediately. Errors During Setting Out Building Plan on Ground There are different types of errors that might be made when a structure is set out for example gross errors, systematic errors and random errors. These errors should be prevented and there are some measures to tackle these issues. These measures will be discussed in the following sections. Fig.1: Setting Out of Building Plan on Ground Fig.2: Setting Out Building Plan on Ground How to Prevent Errors During Setting Out of Building? Following are the different types of control that should be carried out to prevent any errors during setting out building plan on ground: Good practice in office On site control Equipment and staff Checks Marking the ground Use of grid offset Good Practice in Office To successfully set...
Read more

Factors Affecting Selection of Foundation for Buildings?

Image
Factors which affect selection of foundation for a building can be many from the soil conditions to the type of structure and loads from the building. All the factors are considered during selection of foundation for durable building construction. Factors Affecting Selection of Foundation Following are the factors which affect the selection of suitable foundations for building construction: Loads from building Type of soil Type of structures in neighborhood Type of foundations 1. Loads from Building The first factor considered is loads from building on the foundation. This load is a combination of dead load and imposed loads on the buildings. Other loads such as wind loads, earthquake loads, snow loads etc. are also considered based on location. The quantity of loads depends on the type of structure, number of floors and material of construction. As the number of floors increases, the dead load and imposed loads also increase. Choice of material for construction su...
Read more

Ceiling types used in Building Construction and their Applications

Image
Various types of ceiling are used in building construction. Applications, aesthetics, advantages and disadvantages of these types of ceilings are discussed in this article. The ceiling of a building form one of the most important structural elements it terms of functionality as well as creativity which in turn bring good aesthetics to the building interior. This document would help you understand ceilings that in turn would help you understand the most suitable options while undertaking either repair or renovation work of our building interior. The ceiling gains a definition, ” A part of a building which encloses and is exposed overhead in a room, protected shaft or circulation space.” It helps us to create an enclosure and separation between spaces. They provide perfect lighting in the room by controlling diffusion of light. It also controls the sound around a room by making the room sound proof. It, therefore, stops the passage of sound between the rooms. Now ceiling also po...
Read more

HOW TO DETERMINE DEPTH OF FOUNDATION

Image
Many factors affects the determination of depth of foundation. Calculation for foundation depth is done based on type of soil, ground water table, loads from structure, bearing capacity of soil and other factors. General factors to be considered for determining depth of foundation are: 1. Load applied from structure to the foundation 2. Bearing capacity of soil 3. Depth of water level below the ground surface 4. Types of soil and depth of layers in case of layered soil 5. Depth of adjacent foundation The minimum depth of foundation should be considered to ensure that the soil is having the required safe bearing capacity as assumed in the design. However, it is advised to carry out soil investigation before deciding on depth of foundation. Soil investigation report will suggest the foundation depth based on the type of structure, soil properties, depth of water table, and all other variable that should be considered. Soil investigation report provides bearing capacity of ...
Read more

WHAT IS VOLUME BATCHING OF CONCRETE AND HOW IT IS DONE IN FIELD?

Image
WHAT IS VOLUME BATCHING OF CONCRETE? Batching of concrete means measuring different ingredients of concrete (i.e. cement, sand, coarse aggregate and water) before mixing it. When this measurement is done on the basis of volume, we call it  Volume Batching . Below are mentioned some of important points to remember before adopting volume batching method in field. Volume batching is not a good method for measuring concrete materials. It is not applicable in case of reinforced concrete structure. This method of concrete batching may not be economical. It can be only used for unimportant concrete or for small concrete works. HOW VOLUME BATCHING IS DONE IN FIELD? Before batching concrete ingredients in terms of volume, we need to know two things. What is the relative proportion of concrete ingredients in terms of volume? What is the water-cement ratio? After knowing these two things you can proceed to batch concrete ingredients in field. The table shown below ca...
Read more

Construction Project Management Softwares

Image
Construction PM Software A new wave of web and cloud apps are streamlining communication, simplifying document management, and improving efficiency in construction management.  Here are some of top construction management tools: Smartsheet Smartsheet  is a spreadsheet-inspired work management tool with robust collaboration and communication features. With pre-built construction templates, it’s easy to create a timeline, track progress, manage documents, and organize the details. Gantt charts are automatically created and auto-adjust every time a change is made, so you can share the most up-to-date timeline with team members or stakeholders. You can upload files from your computer, Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, Evernote, or add a web URL, creating a central repository for all project documentation and contracts. Team members can have discussions directly in the sheet and set reminders and alerts, so everyone is on the same page. And lastly, Smartsheet inte...
Read more

Methods of underpinning, Procedure and Applications in Foundation Strengthening

Image
Underpinning is a method for repair and strengthening of building foundations. Underpinning methods, procedures and their applications in strengthening of different types of foundations is discussed in this article. There are situations where a failure in foundation or footing happens unexpectedly after the completion of whole structure (both sub and superstructure). Under such emergency situation, a remedial method has to be suggested to regain the structural stability. The  method of underpinning  help to strengthen the foundation of an existing building or any other infrastructure. These involve installation of permanent or temporary support to an already held foundation so that additional depth and bearing capacity is achieved. Selection of Underpinning Methods Underpinning methods are selected based on age of structure and types of works involved. Structure categories based on its age: Ancient Structures :Age greater than 150 years Recent Structures : Age ...
Read more

Methods for Calculating Cost of Engineering Consultant Services

Image
here are several methods by which calculation of engineering consultant services cost can be carried out in construction. It is possible to employ various charging approach at different phase of the consultant services. The application of each method or combination of methods is dependent on nature, scope and complexity of the required engineering services. In this article, these charging consulting services are discussed. Following are the topics discussed for calculating cost of engineering services or consulting services in construction: What are the factors that affect the engineering service cost? Methods for charging engineering services What are the Factors that affect the Engineering Service Cost in Construction? There are various factors that control the cost of engineering services required for a specific project. These factors are outlined below: The conditions at project site. Degree of danger that may be encountered and exposure possibility. System of pr...
Read more