Industrial Noise

The review, measurement and assessment of noise from industrial premises requires a different set of skills and assessment concepts to that for noise controls of commercial buildings and residential premises. The complex interaction and evaluation of industrial plants with hundreds of noise sources is primarily based upon sound power level measurements of individual sources and in some cases external spatial averaging of the perimeters of the plant in accordance with International Standards.

Industrial noise assessment requires identification of the noise sources, the noise contribution at residential properties/assessment points and then determination of effective noise control measures to satisfy regulatory requirements for external noise emission and/or occupational noise assessments.

The firm has been involved in some of the biggest noise reduction programs in Australia requiring the above expertise and techniques. The noise reduction program developed for the ICI petrochemical complex at Botany occurred over a number of years involving progressive noise reductions over 20 years with removal of entire plants, replacement with new and quieter plants, that in some cases represented at the quietest industrial plants (of those types) in the world. Similar philosophies were utilised for addressing noise emission issues for the APM Paper Mill and the WDHO Wills manufacturing plant in the nearby region.

The ICI Noise Reduction Program developed by our Principal became the basis of chapter 10 of the New South Wales Industrial Noise Policy for addressing existing and proposed upgrade of industrial plants.

Similar investigation in terms of noise source identification for the purpose of noise controls and achieving compliance with regulatory requirements have been successfully implemented for the Manildra Flour Mill in Manildra in the Shoalhaven Starches plant at Bomaderry, New South Wales.

These various techniques in terms of measurements, compliance testing, sound power determination, ranking of noise sources etc. utilise the entire range of instrumentation the firm has and the expertise developed over the years with respect to industrial noise assessment and in terms of noise controls.