GHD provides advice on acoustic treatments of exposed facades with consideration to applicable state regulations and guidelines, Development Control Plans, Australian and international standards. GHD has provided planning and design advice for several development types, including:
- New single dwellings
- Extension to existing dwellings
- Multi-storey residential apartment blocks
- Aged care facilities
Early planning can reduce the need for extreme acoustic specifications, particularly when external noise levels are high.
Residential dwellings situated in proximity to airports / airfields, or under pre-existing flight paths, are subjected to intrusive levels of aircraft noise. It is hence often a council requirement for residential developments, either extensions or new dwellings, to obtain an aircraft noise intrusion assessment in order to ensure bedrooms and living areas appropriately designed. GHD has serviced numerous residential developments across a spectrum of locations, development sizes and airport scales, to review, model and assess aircraft noise impacts. Recommendations are selected to ensure identified living and sleeping areas are acoustically treated to protect the acoustic amenity and health of their occupants.
Residential dwellings situated in proximity to airports / airfields, or under pre-existing flight paths, are subjected to intrusive levels of aircraft noise. It is hence often a council requirement for residential developments, either extensions or new dwellings, to obtain an aircraft noise intrusion assessment in order to ensure bedrooms and living areas appropriately designed. GHD has serviced numerous residential developments across a spectrum of locations, development sizes and airport scales, to review, model and assess aircraft noise impacts. Recommendations are selected to ensure identified living and sleeping areas are acoustically treated to protect the acoustic amenity and health of their occupants.
Inter-space noise control pertains to practically every residential and commercial multi-storey building. While compliance with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) provisions for sound insulation is critical in residential buildings, inter-space noise control is also important in any building comprising noise sensitive spaces, for privacy purposes or to address mechanical plant noise propagation.
By their very nature, businesses or activities established for the benefit of the surrounding community are often located in residential zones. This often leads to intrusive acoustic impacts where noise emission from the operator itself affects the amenity of the surrounding residences it is positioned to serve. In such cases, offensive noise may be resolved through appropriate communication and management measures, and sometimes may require engagement with the local council or regulatory authority. GHD can assist in such cases of residential offensive noise, and can include the following:
- Attended noise measurements of subject noise
- Assessment of offensiveness and intrusiveness
- Preparation of a letter or report for lodgement to council
- Provision of management practices and mitigation measures for offensive noise resolution
It is often a requirement of local council that any additional mechanical plant be assessed for acoustic intrusiveness prior to it being operational. This can involve a multitude of noise sources, including AC condensing units, compressors, pool pump motors, ventilation fans and lift motors. The following services are offered by GHD in this sector, and can be prepared for submission to local council or other regulatory authorities:
- Mechanical plant noise monitoring
- Noise modelling and prediction
- Mitigation design advice, including acoustic enclosures or noise barriers
- Noise transmission modelling of mechanical plant to receivers through facades or partitions
