Noise Assessment and Control

Noisy facilities and high vibration impact health and communities

Noisy and vibrating facilities and equipment are more than a nuisance, they can lead to environmental non-compliance, a decline in occupational health, or may indicate premature failure of equipment. Project noise and vibration emissions affect people in surrounding communities, operators of machinery and on construction sites, the surrounding environment, as well as the structural stability of buildings and the performance of process equipment. Projects subject to noise and vibration challenges include industrial facilities, power plants, renewable energy sites, urban road and rail expansions, and new or expanded ports and airports.

Balancing the environmental impact, structural stability, and equipment longevity with production/performance requirements without compromising worker safety is the underlying challenge when resolving problems related to noise and vibration.

Noise-induced issues range from community and occupational noise exposure due to operating industrial facilities, the expansion of transit corridors, temporary construction sites, specialized equipment and processes, communal event noise, and the refinement of acoustics for speech intelligibility.

Vibration-induced problems range from high levels on rotational equipment, structural sway, seismic analysis, and mass transit-induced vibrations–felt both in the private and public sectors. High vibrations or chatter can be an ongoing issue with operations because of their role in reducing production speeds, product quality, and persistent part replacements.

Specialized acoustical equipment, measurements, and modeling help control noise and vibration

Want to turn the volume down on noise? Or improve a venue's acoustics? Our noise assessment and control engineers have been helping industry clients design quiet facilities, retrofit noisy ones, and improve speech intelligibility across many industrial and commercial sectors. Using specialized acoustical equipment and state-of-the-art measurement and modeling tools, our engineers optimize the application of noise control features to best achieve the project design constraints. Our services include:

noise impact studies for local and international environmental compliance and permitting
noise control design: equipment enclosures, cleanable silencers, acid resistant silencers for corrosive/abrasive environments, and piling enclosures
mobile equipment and machinery noise control
quiet plant design for major projects and smaller installations (layout optimization, equipment specifications)
occupational noise measurement and control
venue acoustic modeling for speech intelligibility
expert testimony
international noise standards and regulations expertise
remote noise monitoring and noise source characterization

Concerned about vibration levels? Our certified vibration analysts can help quantify safe vibration levels, identify the root cause of vibration, and design appropriate vibration control solutions. Our team applies various measuring techniques to identify and resolve vibration-induced problems to achieve a variety of applicable codes and criteria to suit jurisdictional and operational requirement. Our services include:

advanced rotational machinery diagnostics, as well as root cause and control analysis
structural vibration analysis from random and mechanically driven energy sources
equipment condition monitoring and reliability inspections
operational deflection shape and modal analysis
remote construction site vibration monitoring
ground-borne vibration measurements from construction activity, tunnel boring, rail activity, and blasting
whole body occupational vibration comfort measurements and assessments

Blogs

Advanced process control: the engine of Industry 4.0

Eliyya Shukeir

APC tools and applications have been around for more than 30 years and are now seeing renewed value in a digital future.

All Blogs

Re. Ecological Noise Impact on Northern Woodland Caribou and Quick Noise Impact Calculator There is quite a buzz around here about this, so I am really excited to see it. The modifications will greatly increase its applicability for our work and possibly other proponents. We are very impressed with the work you did here, which was above and beyond our expectations. Thanks for the exceptional work on this.

Steve Wall | Minister, Ontario Ministry of Transportation