Whether at home or in the workplace, the acoustical climate indoors affects our well-being, how well we sleep and function, as well as how effective we are in the workplace. dBA Noise Consultants Ltd can help achieve a good acoustical climate and meet Building Code requirements.

 

A well designed building envelope will help minimize the intrusion of ambient noise, whether it is from roadways or rail lines nearby, aircraft or nearby industry. In multi-use buildings, consideration of the different functions is essential to prevent conflicts resulting from different requirements.

 

Separating walls (and floors for condominiums and apartments!) between townhomes have to meet requirements according to the Building Code. We can help in the planning stage by calculating the (A)STC value of the partitioning wall, or by measuring the achieved ASTC of the completed construction to assess compliance with Building Code requirements.

 

Currently, there are no Building Code requirements for impact noise – noise from e.g. footsteps, dog nails, children’s toys, scraping chairs, falling objects and everything in between. Frequently, this leads to complaints, especially with hard floor coverings in the offending unit such as laminate. We can help by assessing the impact noise in the planning stage or by measuring it and comparing it to accepted standards, as well as by suggesting improvements. 

 

For the measurement of the impact sound we recently bought an impact noise generator (tapping machine). This instrument is essential to conducting accurate standardized field measurements of noise transmission across floor/ceiling assemblies. The machine is lightweight and portable. It has a remote control and operates on either AC power or its onboard lithium-ion battery pack, which provides up to 80 minutes of continuous runtime.

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With our building acoustics expertise, we can take precise field measurements with less set-up time and more mobility than ever before. Furthermore, our team of acousticians is highly adept at interpreting that data, providing thoughtful analysis that accounts for the specific constraints of each project. Providing results that meet internationally recognized standards makes for objective, non-biased information and allows to pursue real-world solutions.

​

Speech intelligibility is affected by ambient noise levels (both from outdoor sources as well as indoor sources, such as HVAC installations). The amount of reverberation in a space also influences speech transmission. We can advise how to manage ambient noise levels and how to achieve the optimal amount of sound absorption in a space to achieve its optimal functionality.

 

Indoor ambient noise levels are affected by HVAC installations. In office settings, sounds from other workers (phone and in person conversations) will also affect other workers and may reduce concentration and productivity. We can advise on HVAC noise levels, as well as wall- and ceiling treatments.

 

Privacy is affected by the separations between adjoining rooms or offices. We can advise how to achieve the amount of privacy required.