Noise Survey June 22

People are probably more aware of noise in the working, home or school environment since the experience of trying to do all these within the one place during our enforced lockdown. Different buildings need to be designed and built to meet the needs of their final use. That includes ensuring that a noise survey is carried out to establish if the building and its individual rooms are fit for the purpose. For example, you wouldn’t want a room designed for special educational needs to have lots of echos or reverberation, which may upset those with sensitivity to sound. Equally an entertainment venue needs to have walls, floors and ceilings which encourage the transfer of sound all around the space, so even the audience at the back or in the top seats can enjoy the performance. This is where the Acoustic Consultants at PDA come to the fore.

What is a noise survey?

A noise survey or environmental noise impact assessment is carried out by a qualified Acoustic Consultant at the planning stage of a development. The purpose of this survey is to identify issues relating to noise either of potential commercial activities on the existing climate or inversely the impact of an existing noise source on a proposed development such as a school or residential area. The result of the survey will then lead to discussions on particular design requirements for the new development involving solutions such as insulation schemes. The team of highly experienced Acoustic Consultants at PDA regularly conduct these noise surveys and are used to liaising with the Local Planning Authority. By doing this our consultants can ensure that designs and plans meet and comply with the requirements from the outset.

Noise in the wider environment

An additional assessment that the PDA Acoustic Consultants can also carry out is looking at the noise impact of the proposed development on areas of peacefulness and tranquility. This is called a soundscape survey. An interesting factor in a soundscape survey is that it doesn’t just take into account the physical environment, but how people interact with it in a social and emotional way. For example, is the area of tranquility actually tranquil or is it a quiet area used for noisy and joyful social interaction? You can find out more about this on our Environmental Noise & Vibration page.

Why employ PDA Acoustic Consultants for your noise survey?

The team of Acoustic Consultants at PDA are well known and highly respected in the industry. We work closely to the BS guidelines and ISO standards. In fact, our leading consultants have been instrumental in the preparation of the BS standards for acoustic design. You can read more about all our qualifications and accreditations which will give you the reassurance that working with PDA for your noise survey and acoustic planning is the right solution for your development. To talk to one of our team about your project and to plan a noise survey give us a call on 01925 759380.