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Cooling installation noise nuisance resolved
Local residents of the State Archives in Leuven (Belgium) suffered noise nuisance produced by the cooling installation on the roof of the State Archives building. There was already an acoustic screen around the cooling installation but because it was circa 30 cm lower than the cooling installation the noise continued to spread to the surroundings. Alara-Lukagro designed a solution for the noise nuisance.
Cooling installation noise nuisance resolved
Location:
Leuven, Belgium
Acoustical engineer:
Acoustic consultancy firm Hugo Verhas
Solution:
An enclosure is most effective for a high soundproof level. However, adequate ventilation is required for cooling installations due to the low air resistance. Hence the choice of a customised semi-enclosure, consisting of a combination of:
- Acoustic louvres
- Splitter silencers
- Sound absorbing panels
20 dB noise level reduction
Following noise measurements, acoustic consultancy Hugo Verhas established that the noise level had to be reduced by 20 dB for the noise to be an acceptable level for local residents. The Public Buildings Administration, responsible for the State Archives, approached DOX Acoustics, Alara-Lukagro’s Belgian representative to supply a solution. Alara-Lukagro designed and produced a suitable solution for the State Archives in Leuven.
Construction with silencers offers a solution to the noise nuisance produced by the cooling installation
The spatial and town planning department approved the building application, on the condition that the construction for the noise reducing measure was not too high. Ultimately it was decided to fit six duct silencers to the air inlet. These were supported by a steel construction. To prevent the structure as a whole becoming too high and to ensure the air from the air outlet was not reused, sealed plates were installed at the top and fitted with punched louvres around the circumference. As a result the air outlet is horizontal and rainwater cannot enter it directly.
The air outlet contains one duct silencer and plate work to separate the air outlet from the cooling unit. The outlet has two removable panels so that any maintenance work can be easily performed.
Powder coating achieves harmony with the building
Alara-Lukagro applied a double layer wet paint system to the outside of the entire construction, in the same colour as the building, another urban planning requirement, so that the construction blended seamlessly into its environment.
Challenge: installation in the city centre
The installation presented quite a challenge. The crane just about fitted in the narrow streets around the building and roads had to be closed to allow the crane enough space. The product was finally installed without any problems.
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