Q: Do you only work in England?
A: No, we work throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe.
Q: We are submitting a planning application
tomorrow and have just found out that it cannot be registered
without a noise
assessment. We haven’t got one – can you do one
for us by tomorrow morning?
A: No, because it needs daytime and night time noise surveys
and calculations, and the production of a detailed report.
However, we will try to help by rushing it through for you.
Q: Do Colleges of Further Education have to comply with BB93
when extending their facilities?
A: Compliance with BB93 is now mandatory under Building Regulations
for schools, but is not legally required for FE Colleges or
Universities. However, it is advisable to use BB93 for guidance
and to obtain advice from an acoustic consultant, particularly
in the case of music centres.
Q: Can you tell me the results of your noise survey immediately
on site?
A: No, we have to process the observations and calculations
and draw up a detailed report. But you can be assured we will
try and get everything to you as soon as possible.
Q: Why
can't you come and do the noise survey today as
we had arranged?
A: Because we can only conduct a survey
in favourable weather conditions – we will conduct
your noise survey as soon as the conditions are suitable,
and will keep you fully informed
as to when we will be carrying out the survey.
Q: What is noise?
A: Noise
is usually defined as being ‘unwanted sound’ – the
kind of stuff which annoys you rather than making you want
to settle back and listen. Some noise we can tell is annoying
simply because the loudness of the noise is painful to the
human ear. Loudness is measured in decibels, and 120 decibels
is the threshold of pain.
Q: How can you measure noise?
A: We measure noise with a Sound Level
Meter or Sound Analyzer. These are devices that have a good
quality microphone linked
to a box of tricks that ends up with a display of the sound
pressure level. There are all sorts of Sound Level Meters available,
but the ones used by acoustic consultants are the all-singing,
all-dancing variety which meet all the relevant British Standards
and calibration requirements – and cost thousands of
pounds.
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