The Importance of Acoustic Testing
Our senses directly inform how we experience the world around us. If the weather is too hot, we seek shelter. If the midday sun is too bright, we close the shutters. However, with regards to sound, our ability to take action and achieve the comfort and peace we desire when things get too loud, or irritating can often only achieve so much.
As such, the importance of acoustic testing on buildings and new constructions cannot be understated. Acoustic testing is the means of determining how noise will travel and become amplified indoors, where applicable, and how the environment will be impacted by the presence of a newly created physical structure.
Sound can have a positive and negative impact on the wellbeing and mental health of humans. Whether it is in the home, in the workplace, or in a new or established neighbourhood, any persistent noise can be detrimental to the quality of life that can be expected for those in the vicinity.
Retaining the services of acoustic engineers is recommended early in the planning process where possible so that acoustic recommendations that incorporate the most appropriate cost effective and practical solutions can be submitted to the regulatory authorities for approval.
Developers often overlook this step until their plans have been rejected. However, by taking proactive steps through professional intervention, either upfront or in the wake of being turned down, applications for new builds gain approval much faster.
What Professional Testing Achieves
The sensible move for any architect, town planner, construction company, developer, or supplier of building materials is to limit the amount of financial exposure that is incurred on each project.
Professional acoustic testing experts working with your team throughout the development process ensures that you will only have to address these issues once, and will not face a failed planning application that requires additional considerations.
What’s more, overlooking the acoustics of a building or construction project before seeking approval means that the opportunity to find cost-effective acoustical solutions that specifically address a specific development can be lost.
However, it is worth bearing in mind that any additional work required on a planning proposal will eat into your budget. This unnecessary work could potentially impact future project dates and determine whether preferred contractors can, in fact, still be part of the development.
The most important thing that effective acoustic testing achieves is a guarantee that those that will live in or near, or close to the development will not be subjected to offensive noise pollution that can contribute to stress and a poor quality of life.
A Duty of Care
Regardless of whether it is in the workplace, in a newly developed apartment block or if it concerns the development of a brand new road, acoustic testing and environmental noise assessments are essential.
Those responsible for building and undertaking construction projects have a duty of care to the community they are working within. Anyone that builds and fails to meet the regulatory and legislative standards in this regard faces the possibility of being found in breach of this duty to the public.
The process is made so much easier by simply seeing out acoustic engineers that have a vast amount of experience across all industries. Any developer or anyone involved in the process of creating a new physical structure stands to benefit from including these professionals in the process from as early on as possible.
Your journey toward a better build begins with an unbiased report that will illustrate exactly where issues exist from assessing your design plans. From that point, constructive recommendations can be made and changes implemented that will bolster the quality of the finished project.
The end result is one that both the developer/creators and those that will be directly impacted by the new development can benefit without any negative sound repercussions.
Better acoustic solutions lead to better lives for all.