Noise and Vibration Consultants

As specialist noise and vibration consultants, ACCON UK are able to offer a wide range of vibration and acoustic consultancy services, including noise surveys, assessments, monitoring and design support. Our in-house personnel have a broad range of experience across all areas of acoustics and some of our team have over 40 years of experience, including international work. We have been involved in a wide range of projects working closely with architects, planners and engineers to provide a comprehensive approach to projects, recognising the competing requirements of other disciplines. Our noise and vibration team has a proven track record of delivering a range of client focused solutions. The team are all members of the Institute of Acoustics and key personnel are also registered expert witnesses. In addition, ACCON is a member of the ANC, the trade association for acoustics, noise and vibration consultancy practices.

Noise and Vibration Services

Noise Impact Assessment

For many residential and mixed-use developments the local planning authority require a noise impact assessment to be undertaken to support the planning application. ACCON regularly carry out these noise assessments which usually involve a noise measurement survey to ascertain the degree to which the site is affected by existing noise sources. Typical sources of noise include road traffic, railways, aircraft, industry and retail premises. The noise exposure of the site is assessed taking account of the National Planning Policy Framework, Planning Practice Guidance – Noise, local planning policies and guidance including BS 8233, BS 4142, WHO Guidelines for Community Noise to determine the acceptability of the development. ACCON also provide advice on good acoustic design, including any necessary noise mitigation measures.

Vibration Assessment

ACCON provide services in relation to the assessment, management and control of vibration from sources such as railways, roads, construction, tunnelling, blasting, mining and heavy industrial machinery. The effect of vibration on buildings can cause varying degrees of cosmetic or structural damage or can affect equipment that is vibration sensitive. At lower magnitudes, vibration may still be perceptible and require an assessment of the likely human response. Vibration from railway tunnels or mines can result in re-radiated noise within buildings which is usually termed groundborne noise. ACCON regularly assess the likely effects of vibration from construction work where this will take place close to sensitive properties such as dwellings. ACCON’s vibration monitoring services include attended monitoring surveys and long term monitoring systems that allow data to be downloaded remotely and viewed live via a dedicated website.

Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment (for EIA)

Where an Environmental Statement or Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required for a project, ACCON carry out a comprehensive noise and vibration impact assessment. Such assessments are typically required for major infrastructure developments, including road, rail and airport projects, energy, renewable energy and waste projects and for some large mixed- use developments. We provide comprehensive noise and vibration assessments in accordance with policies and standards at International, European, National or Local Authority level. A noise and vibration impact assessment for EIA normally involves the following stages: a noise survey to establish baseline levels; using a noise model to predict noise levels with the development in place; assessing the significance of noise from the operational phase and assessing the significance of noise and vibration effects during the construction of the project. The assessment will also determine any requirement for noise and vibration mitigation measures.

Construction Noise and Vibration Assessment

Many large construction projects and most projects that need a noise and vibration impact assessment will require a construction noise and vibration assessment. ACCON provide the following services for construction noise and vibration: noise and vibration monitoring including long-term compliance monitoring with remote data access, noise modelling, noise and vibration predictions and assessment, preparation of Section 61 consent applications, advice on mitigation measures and Best Practicable Means, construction noise and vibration management plans.

Noise Modelling and Noise Mapping

Noise modelling is utilised by ACCON’s noise team for most of our noise impact assessments. The modelling involves using software such as the CadnaA package to create a 3D model of the site and its surrounding area. Noise sources including roads, railways, HVAC plant and industrial buildings are modelled in order to calculate sound levels at the locations of noise sensitive receptors or to prepare noise contour maps. Each model can be configured to predict noise levels for multiple scenarios; e,g. for different traffic flows or different operational scenarios.

Noise mapping is typically required for large towns or cities or for transport networks to evaluate exposure to transportation noise or industrial noise. Producing noise maps involves the use of large-scale noise models and GIS tools for which ACCON have 20 years of experience.

Industrial & Commercial Noise Assessment

ACCON are experienced in noise measurement and assessment of all types of industrial and commercial noise. When a shop, café or takeaway needs to install a chiller unit or a kitchen extract system, the local planning authority often requires a noise assessment. New commercial developments will usually have external heating and ventilation plant that will require a noise assessment. Delivery noise and noise breakout from the buildings may also need to be considered. An assessment in accordance with BS 4142 is normally carried out. ACCON typically use a noise model for our industrial/commercial noise assessments.

Wind Farms, Solar Farms and Battery Energy Storage

With the focus on net zero, there is continuing growth in many types of renewable energy developments. ACCON’s noise team have been involved in the noise assessment and review of a large number of wind farms, solar farms and battery energy storage systems projects across the UK and internationally. Our noise expertise can support renewable energy developers with site identification and layout optimisation, and ACCON provide specialist noise assessment for planning applications and environmental statements. We are also able to provide a review service to Local Authorities in respect of the noise aspects of the ES and technical reports submitted with planning applications for renewable energy developments.

Sports and Leisure Noise Assessments

The ACCON noise team has considerable experience of assessing the noise impact from most types of leisure and sports activities. This experience is particularly helpful to our clients as there are no specific noise criteria which apply to most sports and leisure activities. Our experience includes night clubs, music festivals, sports stadia, 5-a-side football centres, skate parks, MUGAs, paintballing, motorsport and quad biking.

Transportation Noise and Vibration

Noise from roads and railways affect significant proportions of the UK population. Aircraft noise affects fewer people, although for a given noise level can cause more annoyance. ACCON provide a full range of services to measure, model and assess transportation noise and vibration. For road traffic noise, our services range from WebTAG, DMRB and Noise Insulation Regulations assessments for new or altered highway schemes to recommending noise barrier layouts for individual homeowners. ACCON’s rail experience includes detailed studies of airborne and groundborne noise and vibration for high speed rail and conventional railway projects, and temporary construction railways used in tunnelling schemes.

ACCON offer aircraft noise assessments including appraisals of general aviation activity, changes in flight paths, airport expansion and airport ground noise.

Expert Witness and Noise Nuisance

Key ACCON personnel act as expert witnesses and have presented expert evidence at Courts of Law, Public Inquiries, Select Committee etc, having developed well-honed skills of advocacy and expert witness capability. Expert witness testimony may be required for large projects where a noise impact assessment and EIA have been prepared to support a planning application, or to resolve disputes relating to occupational noise exposure. ACCON also offers services to investigate potential noise nuisance and these cases often require an expert report to be prepared for a magistrates’ court or county court with the report prepared in accordance with CPR Part 35. If you are experiencing noise in your home that could be considered to be a noise nuisance, it is normally advisable to seek legal advice in the first instance as we are typically appointed through a solicitor on these cases.

Noise and Vibration at Work

Legislation sets the permitted levels of noise and vibration for workers. ACCON offer a comprehensive noise and vibration at work service, from providing measurements of noise and vibration exposure and carrying out noise and vibration predictions to ensuring compliance with the legal limits, through to providing comprehensive advice and design solutions to help safeguard employees from occupational noise and vibration.