What do acoustic consultants actually do
Noise pollution is becoming quite a big problem in many built-up areas today & recently I’ve begun to think that maybe an noise consultant could do something to attenuate sound levels.
As it turns out, incessant noise pollution is not as much of a problem as sudden peaks and troughs although in the workplace, continuous noise that isn’t particularly loud is often a problem and can give rise to partial deafness.
Perhaps one of the most significant human aspects of noise is that it has an adverse impact on sleep and steady low-level sleep deprivation is bad for physical and mental well-being.
To an Acoustic consultant this will be familiar territory. They use the latest acoustic apparatus to measure noise levels and pin-point sources of noise. By designing buildings to absorb noise energy they are able to significantly improve the quality of life for people and thus improve their health too.
A common problem is due to aeroplane noise levels, particularly around busy airports like Charles de Gaulle where aircraft come in low over inhabited areas. Although there usually are some controls on landing and take-off times, major international & national airports effectively operate virtually 24 hours a day. Noise consultants are sometimes being used by airport noise objectors now to log volume levels and then to act as experts in environmental impact studies.