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Titon helps keep the noise down at new Birmingham apartments

75 SFX Sound Attenuator vents from Titon have been installed at the newly constructed Honduras Wharf project in Birmingham. Located in the heart of the city centre, the building comprises 99 residential apartments and penthouses, each with between one to three bedrooms. The project, which was completed in June 2017, was overseen by Leicester-based Unique Window Systems Ltd, while the contractor was J.A. Ball Ltd.

Titon’s SFX Sound Attenuator is a compact slot ventilator which provides high levels of sound attenuation compared to similar ‘acoustic’ products. The vents and accompanying canopies for the Honduras Wharf project were coloured RAL7024 Matt Graphite Grey in line with the décor of the building’s façade and window frames.

Commenting on selecting the vents, Gary Burrows, Project Manager at Unique Window Systems, said “Due to the city centre location, acoustic vents were required in order to adhere to the necessary building and planning regulations. Having used Titon’s products for many years now, we knew the SFX Sound Attenuator was perfect for the application in hand. Not only are these vents easy to fit, they are excellent at minimising noise while maintaining the required levels of background ventilation.”

The SFX Sound Attenuator is part of Titon’s renowned SF Xtra range – and is widely specified throughout the UK. It can be purchased in a number of combinations based on different sizes of inner (ventilator) and outer (canopy). Combinations can be chosen depending on the acoustic requirement and can achieve up to 44 D,n,e,w attenuation when the vent is open.

These vents have also been subjected to independent EA testing (measuring airflow through the product) conducted by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and acoustic testing by SRL Technical Services Ltd. The EA tests were carried out in accordance with UK Approved Document F (ADF) 2010 and the Scottish Technical Handbook 3.14.6 using the recognised test method to BS:EN 13141-1 clause 4. The independent testing substantiated the claimed performance data of the Titon Trimvent Select, SF Xtra and SFX Sound Attenuator trickle vents.

The SFX Sound Attenuator is a cost effective method of reducing incoming noise in situations where conventional slot ventilators are unable to assist with acoustic issues. It comes fitted with a Titon SFX and/or SF Ventilator Canopy and fits over the standard SF, Trimvent Select or Select Xtra slot size.

For more information about Titon and its range of window and door hardware, as well as its whole house ventilation products, please visit: www.titon.co.uk.
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High quality building design is key to meeting noise challenges in London

In conjunction with International Noise Awareness Day this week, manufacturer ROCKWOOL UK published a report on the impact of noise in London. Entitled, ‘Good Growth, Quiet Buildings: Exploring the impact of noise in a growing city and solutions in the built environment’, the report draws together information on health impacts, costs and government policy and highlights how growth in high density living coupled with the move towards a 24-hour economy means that London will continue to face challenges in achieving good growth and a good night’s sleep.

Key points:

  • Trends such as urbanisation, high density living and the 24-hour economy result in more noise – London has more noise complaints than anywhere else in the UK
  • 48% of people across the UK say their home life is spoilt by noise, whilst 41% of Londoners cite noise as a main reason for leaving the city
  • Noise is costing the UK £7-10 billion a year due to ill health consequences, loss of amenity and loss of productivity
  • Good design can and should create buildings that support health and well-being

Noise is already the number one complaint in hotels in London, whilst it’s also one of the main reasons given by Londoners for moving out of the city – with 41% citing it as a reason for leaving. Meanwhile, a World Health Organization (WHO) study found that at least 1 million healthy life years are lost every year in Western Europe as result of exposure to environmental noise. That makes noise the second largest environmental cause of ill health after air pollution, with the social cost of environmental noise placed at £7-10bn a year in the UK alone.

So, despite the pressure to rapidly deliver many more homes, hotels and commercial premises in London, noise mitigation must not be forgotten. Research also shows that quiet sells. For example, Premier Inn’s sound conscious hotel in Leicester Square is one of the best-performing hotels in London, with occupancy rates of 95%.

Managing Director of ROCKWOOL UK, Rory Moss, said “Building in noise considerations from the outset of a project is the most straightforward and cost effective route to achieving quiet buildings. By considering noise as an integral part of the design process, alongside factors such as aesthetics, lighting and layout, materials can be carefully selected to meet real life performance needs. With so many developments in the pipeline for London, now is the time to ensure we’re building to support our health and well-being. ”

Good Growth, Quiet Buildings: Exploring the impact of noise in a growing city and solutions in the built environment is available to download via the ROCKWOOL website. Visit www.rockwool.co.uk/about-us/news/noise-report for more information.
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The silent scream

Juliet Woodcock talks to Paul Barrett, Product Manager at ROCKWOOL Ltd, about acoustic issues in commercial and educational buildings.

These days within my local library, there seems to be no issue regarding offering overspill space to the neighbouring crèche and play group, gathered in loud restless circles containing a dozen or more exuberant infants. However, there was a time when such municipal facilities demanded a peaceful environment for reading or cultural enrichment, while the stern voice of a librarian calling “Quiet please!” quelled noise in an instant.

Intrusive noise coming from without as well as within is a fact of modern life, though fortunately, there are companies out there that do care about creating a peaceful environment for us to live, work or learn in, as Paul Barrett – Product Manager at Rockwool, explains: “Acoustics in commercial and educational buildings matter. It’s imperative that ambient noise is kept as low as possible to minimise intrusion and distraction in these environments. It’s no surprise that studies consistently show that quieter classrooms and workplaces achieve better results. Unfortunately, a large number of schools and office buildings in the UK suffer from poor acoustics.”

Paul Barrett asserts that the most serious issue regarding poor acoustics is caused by flanking transfer, and went on to explain: “The noise is transmitted indirectly via paths such as external wall cavities, voids above partitions and internal corridors, or where there are problems of excessive reverberation within the rooms themselves.”

But it is not just the internal environment that should be considered when trying to improve a building’s acoustic performance. Indeed, when refurbishing or specifying a new school or commercial premises, plans to reduce the noise from outside from wind, rain, hail and traffic, as well as playgrounds and sports centres should be included.

Stone wool insulation is renowned for its excellent acoustic properties, its open fibrous structure making it ideal for absorbing and regulating noise in the building for the lifetime of the property.

Paul Barrett continues: “It is also incredibly versatile, with products and systems available to suit a wide variety of building applications. These include metal and standing seam, flat, green and pitched roofs; ground, exposed and separating floors; internal partitions and separating walls; fire protection and fire stopping; HVAC and masonry cavity walls.
“Fully tested to meet the rigorous demands of today’s legislation, stone wool insulation solutions are proven to reduce ambient, impact and reverberation noise in educational and commercial buildings.”

Utilizing ROCKWOOL’s HARDROCK® Multi-Fix (DD) product on a flat roof, for example, as a 0.25W/m2K single layer or 0.18W/m2K dual layer, mechanically fixed roof solution can provide an acoustic performance of Rw 35dB (single) and 39dB (dual layer) and Class C sound absorption. HARDROCK® Multi-Fix (DD) also provides an impressive fire safety rating as a flat roof board insulation with a Euroclass (A1) non-combustible fire classification and LPCB approval (LPS 1181: Part 1 (Ext-A).

My local library was the last bastion of peace and quiet in my town; I used to know I could go there and get away from other people’s noise – including my adorable nephew’s teething tantrums. I would feel rested there, browsing through books, and in the early days of my journalistic career, going through the micro-fiche with the librarian to order tomes for research that would arrive up to six weeks later pre-Internet days ….. Good acoustic insulation in buildings is vital to our health, our capability to work and learn.

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New TrojanLITE Noise Nuisance Recorder for Housing Associations

Nuisance Recorder Noise measurement experts Cirrus Research have introduced a new version of its industry leading Trojan noise nuisance recorder. The TrojanLITE is ideal for housing associations that need to measure noise nuisance in a quick, simple and easy deployment scenario.

The advanced technology allows officers to gather quality data with minimum fuss to the householder, allowing the investigator to collate the data for quicker complaint resolution. Designed, manufactured and supported in the UK by Cirrus Research, TrojanLITE captures loudness and frequency level data, as well as record high quality audio of the alleged noise nuisance.

Once collated, officers will be able to access the data by downloading the free NoiseTools Software that is already part of the overall system. The measurements can be viewed or listened to as audio recordings and then incorporated to create quick and simple reports. James Tingay, quality and product development, said: “We spent a lot of time consulting with existing customers and have included a range of useful features to allow the user to get the very best from the equipment.

“Time really was of the essence with most of the clients we spoke to, so we have ensured with the TrojanLITE there’s no need for step-by-step instructions – simply plug in, calibrate and the equipment is ready to go.

“It really can be used by anyone and you don’t need to have acoustic training or background.”

Other key features include:

  • If someone forgets to press start, the instrument will automatically start measuring after 10 minutes.
  • Wireless remote control – if the user has limited mobility or the noise nuisance recorder is placed in a different room, being able to start/stop the kit without having to go back to the box was the most asked for feature in the research.
  • The TrojanLITE is preset to measure 24 hour blocks of data, making it easier to find the problem areas and listen to the recordings.
  • The standard audio recording on the Trojan uses a 16bit/16kHz uncompressed WAV file. Audio recordings can handle both high and low levels with no loss of quality – vital if clients want to capture both low levels at night and higher levels during the day (such as doors banging or music playing). There’s no risk of overload or under-range in the measurements or audio recordings.
  • Once the case is locked, the power cable and microphone cable are fixed. This means there’s no risk of the cables being pulled out either accidentally or deliberately.

Why Choose the TrojanLITE Noise Nuisance Recorder?

  • Capture data on the level and frequency of noise complaints
  • Record audio to ascertain what is really going on
  • No acoustic understanding required to set-up and deploy
  • Easy to download and analyse data to generate reports as evidence
  • Helps to easily determine actionable noise complaints
  • Training and support available directly from Cirrus Research.
For more information please visit www.cirrusresearch.co.uk.
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