Acoustical Design Services

New resource projects and expansion projects have the potential for adverse noise impacts. Noise emissions can increase the risk of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), intrude into work place buildings, cause neighbourhood annoyance, and even affect the integrity of critical plant.

Control of noise can have a significant effect on project designs and costs, particularly if potential issues are not identified early in the design process.

Noise specifications need to be set and noise control solutions investigated / selected to achieve compliance with both legislative and corporate criteria.

Typical Problem Areas

• Design teams are able to provide designs which satisfy production and process requirements but do not fully understand the impacts that their designs can have on noise emissions
• Designers may not be aware of legislative requirements for noise emissions
• Noise problems are reviewed in isolation without considering cumulative effects
• Nobody responsible for tracking and coordinating noise issues
• Differing requirements for occupational noise, environmental noise and noise within buildings

Our Expertise

SVT has a wealth of experience in optimising designs to minimise noise impacts for resource projects including mining operations, onshore and offshore oil and gas processing facilities and transportation infrastructure.

Our engineers regularly visit similar facilities and consequently have first-hand knowledge of the typical plant and equipment which is encountered and the noise problems which can arise.

We have worked closely with Engineering Procurement Construction and Management (EPCM) design teams on many projects and understand the conflicting pressures experienced by these teams. Our hands-on experience and knowledge of applicable legislation allows us to provide practical advice which is highly valued.

Key to our success is our ability to identify potential noise issues at an early stage based on a review of plot plans, general arrangement drawings, equipment lists process flow diagrams, P&IDs, etc.

Specific areas where SVT can assist in the design process include:

• Development of project noise control philosophy
• Awareness training for design teams
• Setting equipment noise specifications and preparation of noise data sheets
• Development of noise testing procedures
• Noise measurement
• Provision of practical noise control recommendations and evaluation of anticipated benefits
• ALARP assessments for noise control
• Review of vendor noise data
• Noise modelling to identify potential noise hazard areas, to quantify community noise impacts, and to optimise noise control options
• Noise control for living quarters