BAP Acoustics

Sound, Noise and Vibration Consulting Engineers

6 reasons to hire acoustic consultants for your project … at an early stage in its progress

You trust your well-trained, compassionate family doctor. But would you be comfortable with a diagnostic hint of “It’s probably acid reflux, but it might be throat cancer”? Chances are, you’d be as unlikely to accept a “might be” as she would to let you leave her examining room before referring you to a specialist. At the very least, she’d send you off to a lab with blood test requisition in hand.

Just as one’s complex health issues may call for a diverse team of medical professionals to resolve, complex building or facility requirements—be they commercial, residential, public, or multi-purpose—necessitate teams of professionals including developers, architects, designers, and project managers—to ensure municipal and regulatory compliance as well as occupant comfort.

We believe that the best of these teams work with acoustic consultants whose specialized understanding of All Things Noise & Vibration enables them to deliver solutions before they become problems, thereby reducing costs and optimizing preventative measures. Consider making acoustic consultants integral members of your team because, as engineering specialists, they can:

  1. Take measures to ensure your project meets both legal stipulations and occupant needs.
  2. Not only conduct acoustic performance tests, but also comprehensively explain the significance of test results to other professionals involved in a given project.
  3. Formulate precise guidelines to help architectural teams fine-tune their work. These guidelines enable architects to coordinate acoustic performance with design concept as well as mechanical and electrical specifications.
  4. Model acoustic emissions to assess infrastructure or facilities project noise impact on local communities. Click here to learn more about identifying as well as mitigating potential noise or vibration issues.
  5. Translate Red Tape to English and liaise fluently with civil servants on your behalf.
  6. Inform construction projects with exceptional depth and breadth of knowledge regarding building frame materials and their unique acoustic challenges. BAP provides expert advice in the design and construction of wood-frame as well as concrete buildings across numerous sectors. Click here to learn more.

If you’d like to know more about these and other ways to make your structure “sound good”, please contact us. We’d be happy to chat.

The Science—and Nature—of Sanctuaries

The Science—and Nature—of Sanctuaries

Brechin United Church Redevelopment, Nanaimo

 

Sanctuary. The concept means different things to different people, and all those meanings play important roles in healthy, sustainable communities. It could be a place for community gathering; it could be your home. In this case study of the Brechin United Church Redevelopment in Nanaimo, BC, both those meanings informed our work with the client, BC Housing. One of several projects slated for construction by 2020, this redevelopment stems from a united commitment to providing much-needed affordable rental housing in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island.

The Story

The United Church of Canada partnered with BC’s provincial government (which will contribute $12.4 million in funding) to redevelop numerous properties. We’re honoured to participate in three such initiatives, and we applaud their commitment to affordable housing as well as community engagement and environmental stewardship. All three projects focus on the necessity to do more with less in these times of dwindling resources and land availability. Designed to maximize the amount of affordable housing, the Brechin United Church redevelopment will feature:

  • Church space
  • 75 rental units (100% will be rented at BC Housing’s affordable rates)
  • Studio and 1-bedroom units; more than 20% are family-friendly
  • 2- and 3-bedroom units
  • Below-grade parking

Challenges …

Multipurpose spaces, such as those incorporating both community and residential areas, present unique challenges throughout their planning and design stages. We needed to balance acoustic optimization with structural requirements, as well control flanking noise, i.e. sound that goes over, under, or around—rather than through separating elements such as walls and ceiling.

… And Solutions

Our team developed a separating floor system that utilizes a concrete topping supported on a resilient layer. We thrive on innovative solutions in meeting clients’ needs … If you’d like to know more about this new process, or how we can help perfect your sanctuary, please get in touch.

The Sound of Floors

BAP Acoustics has performed hundreds of impact insulation class  (IIC) tests across Western Canada. For these test, we utilize  a “tapping machine” which you can see in the video below.

The Impact Insulation Class (IIC) rating of a floor system is determined from noise levels measured in the receiving room, typically below the test floor.

Below you can listen to the sound of the tapping machine as recorded in a receiving room while on different floor assemblies.

Recording 1: Ceramic tile direct on concrete floor slab
Recording 2: Ceramic tile on thick shredded rubber underlay on concrete floor slab
Recording 3: Carpet on concrete floor slab

*Note:  A sub-woofer or large over the ear headphones are recommended for this recording (otherwise you won’t hear much)

 

 

The Canadian Building Code and Noise in Multi-Family Buildings

By Eric de Santis, P.Eng.

Troubled condo-owners often ask me “does the noise I can hear in my apartment exceed the limits allowed under the Building Code?”

..the intention of the National Building Code of Canada (which is the model for all provincial codes) is to provide the minimum provisions acceptable to maintain the safety of buildings.

Before I answer this question, it is important for the reader to first understand that the intention of the National Building Code of Canada (which is the model for all provincial codes) is to provide the minimum provisions acceptable to maintain the safety of buildings. There is little to no risk of immediate injury or death resulting from the experience of noise in a building. As such, the acoustic requirements of the Building Code are much less onerous than those related to the structural, mechanical and electrical integrity of a building.

The NBCC does not provide any requirement to control the level of noise in buildings. Instead, it provides a minimum specification for the separating partitions ability to block sound transmission between dwellings. The general public typically calls this soundproofing. Acoustic engineers call it airborne sound insulation.  By specifying a minimum sound insulation standard, the Building Code helps to control “airborne” noise transmission between suites. Noise sources that are airborne in nature include human voices, babies crying, dogs barking, televisions and audio systems.

..the developer has not necessarily provided a “good” or “high” level of sound insulation between dwellings..

It is important for condo owners to be aware that by building a separating wall or floor that meets the Building Code minimum requirement, the developer has not necessarily provided a “good” or “high” level of sound insulation between dwellings. Consequently, the level of sound insulation experienced by owners may not be commensurate with their expectations, especially if they bought their condominiums in the belief that they were buying into a high-end or luxury development. Neither will building a separating wall or floor that meets the Building Code minimum requirement protect an owner from noise transmission resulting from a floor layout that positions a noisy room of one suite (i.e. living room) next to a quiet room of the adjacent suite (bedroom).

The Building Code relates only to the control of airborne sound transmission. However, noise disturbance can also be experienced through the process of “structure-borne” noise transmission. This occurs where the fabric of the building is struck by an impact, such as a plate dropped on hardwood floor or furniture dragged across a floor, or where mechanical or electrical equipment such as pumps, air-handling equipment, transformers or elevators impart continuous vibration into the structure.

The Building Code contains no provision for controlling structure-borne noise.

The Building Code contains no provision for controlling structure-borne noise. It does, however, recommend a minimum level of impact sound insulation for the floor assembly. Complying with this recommendation will help reduce structure-borne noise transmission from footsteps, dropped objects and dragged furniture, but will do little to reduce the impact of building services equipment. Although these issues are not addressed by the Building Code, noise control measures can be included during the design phase of the development. However, many developers do not address these issues quite simply because there is no regulative requirement to do so.

Having said this, some developers do go the extra mile by specifying that noisy equipment be vibration isolated, and by selecting separating partition assemblies in excess of the Building Code requirement, particularly where the condominiums are marketed as “high-end” or “luxury”. BAP Acoustics has worked with clients seeking to provide a higher quality product in terms of the level of sound insulation achieved between suites. We have worked with other clients to develop uprated separating floor assemblies designed to provide a high standard of impact sound insulation, although there is no requirement to do so under the Building Code.

Before buying an apartment, do your homework and evaluate your expectations. Do you want the apartment to just look nice, or do you want it sound just as good as it looks? Ask your realtor or developer about the acoustic design standard of the building and confirm that they go beyond minimum requirements.