Tag Archives: sound barrier

Business, Construction, Environment, Industrial, Technology

Chiller Noise No Longer Problem After Acoustifence Barrier Installed

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Installation of a 24-foot noise barrier utilizing Acoustifence outdoor sound abatement material at the new Sheboygan Festival Foods store is complete, ending complaints from nearby residents over extreme levels of noise leaking from the store’s industrial refrigeration chillers into the community.

Folks in Sheboygen were celebrating when the popular Wisconsin-based Festival Foods grocery chain opened the 70,000 square foot mega store here on September 16, 2011. Less than two weeks later, the community’s warm welcome had grown icy as neighbors began to complain about noise from the store’s industrial refrigeration chiller that was so loud, it violated the city’s noise ordinance.

Festival Foods enlisted the help of Acoustical Engineer Eric Wolfram of Milwaukee-based Scott R. Riedel & Associates, LTD, who consulted with Acoustiblok’s Jay Boland to choose Acoustifence noise barrier material, a product of Acoustiblok, Inc. of Tampa Florida, to bring the decibel level down below the legal threshold and restore peace and quiet to the neighboring community.

When Wolfram first investigated the site in September, decibel readings ranged between 78.4 and 90.7, loud enough to be a risk for noise-related health problems to nearby residents and workers, had they been subjected to the noise over time. The Sheboygan Department of City Development demanded the level be reduced by at least five decibels, Wolfram said.

“The existing refrigeration pump and motor systems produce extreme noise levels,” Wolfram said. “This noise reverberates within the sheet-metal paneled enclosure interior and escapes through several different exhaust and ventilation openings.

“Additional noise was generated by the cooling and exhaust fans mounted above the enclosure.”

Working with sound consultants from Acoustiblok, Inc., Wolfram designed a two-step solution, creating a barrier with Acoustifence noise deadening material to block noise around the massive system, and incorporating another Acoustiblok product, QuietFiber, to help reduce sound from reflecting off of the taller adjacent building behind the chillers.

Minimal structural changes were required, as the ⅛- inch Acoustifence was easily attached to an existing chain link fence and the outdoor-rated QuietFiber with a perforated metal cover was capconed to the building.

The results were better than Wolfram had hoped, with decibel levels reduced to 57.3 the moment the barrier was in place – well below the City’s legal threshold, and more than 20 decibels lower than before the Acoustiblok products were installed. Neighbors are no longer bombarded with the irritating chiller noise, now replaced with the ordinary ambient sounds that existed before.

“Sounds from local traffic and roadways exceeded that of the compressor equipment after installation of the Acoustifence and QuietFiber products,” Wolfram said.

Lahnie Johnson, founder and president of Acoustiblok, Inc., applauded Festival Foods’ quick action in addressing the noise complaints right away, stating that the product combination was the perfect solution for this particular type of noise challenge.

“The Acoustifence and QuietFIber treatments were the perfect solution for the Festival Foods chiller noise, as both of these materials are designed to hold up in inclement weather, and as you can see from the results, they do their job well beyond everyone’s expectations,” Johnson said. “The Acoustifence and Quiet Fiber are also substantially less costly than attempting a structural enclosure solution.”

For more information on industrial noise solutions, visit the Acoustiblok website, Email sales@acoustiblok.com, or call 813-980-1400.

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Construction, Environment, Industrial, Technology

Acoustiblok Creates Damped, Expandable Acoustical Envelope in New York ITB Recording Studio

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Acoustiblok noise abatement material was installed in the nearly completed Artist Workshop Studios recording facility, an in-the-box (ITB) studio designed and built by Artist Workshop Studios owner Tom Donofrio. Acoustiblok was chosen to provide a sound barrier for the small, 12 foot x 12 foot basement studio that could drop decibels levels within the space and provide a neutral acoustical environment for recording.

Donofrio, an electrical engineer, and musician who has built recording studios in the past using different sound deadening materials, chose Acoustiblok for his newest project after consulting with Marilyn Myers of Acoustiblok, Inc., because of its sound damping and noise blocking qualities, as well as its thin, flexible structure that adds no volume to walls within the studio space. Attached to the studs before drywall is hung, Acoustiblok performs without the need to add layers of rigid drywall or modified drywall, a method Donofrio used in the past with mixed results and significant floor space reduction.

“I was looking for a product that would lower the decibels in the studio without taking up any additional space,” Donofrio said. “I was able to achieve the neutral acoustics desired in the space, which makes me extremely happy.

“I didn’t want a sound quality that was too dead or too live, so the Acoustiblok turned out to be an excellent choice.”

Donofrio and a friend were able to hang the 3mm Acoustiblok on the newly framed stud walls within the studio space, including cutouts around a window and electric sockets, and seal the seams according to installation recommendations, all in less than four hours.

The Artist Workshop Studios recording space was built for Donofrio to indulge his own talents as an acoustical guitarist and vocalist, and to be made available to artists on a budget who need an affordable studio with high quality production equipment and the expertise of a seasoned technician to record a song or album.

“Acoustiblok is a perfect choice for establishing sound quality within a sound recording studio like this one,” said Lahnie Johnson, president and founder of Acoustiblok, Inc.

“Unlike additional drywall or other solid rigid materials used for sound reduction, the 1/8-inch heavy, limp Acoustiblok allows the room to be a damped, expandable acoustical envelope. As such, a studio or home theater has less reflection and actually sounds significantly better.”

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