Noise and vibration control

Vibration and noise control in new buildings, industry and rail projects

We help you find the best solutions for vibration and structure-borne noise control in your new construction, infrastructure, and industrial projects. Together, we can ensure that your project runs smoothly and cost-effectively.

We identify the propagation of traffic and industrial noise and vibration and design mitigation solutions for sites and buildings cost-effectively, using modern digital and algorithmic technologies. Our goal is to create pleasant neighbourhoods,  improve well-being, and increase the value of the area and properties.

When you are building a new development alongside rail or road, you need to take into account the impact of structure-borne noise on the building. 

Industrial noise also requires attention, and we are your experts in this area. The earlier we can assist in developing vibration and structure-borne noise mitigation solutions in your project, the better and more cost-effective the outcome will be.

Whether it's residential, commercial or public buildings, or your rail or road project, we can help you find mitigation solutions.

Identifying sources of structure-borne noise

Structure-born noise is low-frequency noise that is perceived as an auditory sensation, while vibration generates a tactile sensation through the movement of structures. These phenomena can cause a wide range of adverse effects, such as health problems, reduced living comfort, damage to structures or malfunction of vibration-sensitive equipment.

Rail traffic is the most common source of structure-borne noise and vibration, but rubber bicycles and building equipment such as lifts and auxiliary power units can also cause these phenomena.

Industry also generates noise. Industrial noise is the noise generated by industrial plants, production facilities, power generation, industrial processes or machinery inside and outside the installation.

Our comprehensive solutions for mitigation in new buildings

Our design solutions aim to mitigate vibrations at the source, along the transmission path, or at the receiving end. In the most challenging cases, we can use combinations of these methods. Typical control solutions include installing isolation materials in the building's foundations, damping structures in the ground, or dampers placed in the rail structure.

By incorporating noise control into the design early on, you can significantly influence the project's costs. The most effective way to control structure-borne noise and vibration is case-specific. In addition to technical performance, we emphasise the economic impact and feasibility of the solutions for the benefit of your construction project.

Cost-effective vibration control for rail, road and regional planning

For your infrastructure projects, we can help you find appropriate and cost-effective solutions for structure-born noise and vibration mitigation, for example for new tracks or traffic lanes. When planning a new tramway in an existing urban structure, the most sensible solution is to implement the mitigation solution as part of the track structure.

When the site is located along an existing track, noise mitigation solutions that are integrated into the track structure are not practical. In this case, we look for an optimal solution either on the transmission route or in the form of vibration isolation structures in the building.

Structure-borne noise control  in regional and urban planning

In regional and urban planning, we are able to design noise and vibration mitigation solutions for the whole new residential area. As part of area planning, we design ground-based vibration mitigation solutions that address the need for structure-borne noise control for the entire new residential area. This is often significantly more cost-effective than trying to solve noise control in each project separately.

In a residential areas, traffic noise can be controlled by a stabilisation structure, where the vibration from the railway line is contained by lime-cement pillars placed in the ground. This solution is up to 75% cheaper than conventional methods of vibration control.

By considering structure-borne noise and vibration control early in area planning or project development, we can present multiple alternative control methods for comparison. We also provide an assessment of the impact of the alternatives on other design disciplines and overall costs for decision-making.

Our experts also perform comprehensive structure-borne noise and vibration measurements. We can measure structure-borne noise with a sound level meter or by measuring the vibration levels of the structure or ground.

We find solutions to reduce industrial noise

We assist you in all noise surveys, noise engineering phases, third-party acceptance inspections, and operational assessments of your industrial project.

We are your experts in the planning and permitting phase of your industrial project, as well as in the noise and vibration studies for the EIA. Our industrial environmental and acoustics experts design migitation solutions, modelling their impact and effectiveness. If your industrial site is low-noise, we also design low-noise industrial plants.

We also perform noise emission and sound level measurements for machinery and equipment. When you need a noise and vibration control program for industrial workplaces, we are your leading experts. We provide noise measurements and noise exposure assessments to support occupational safety personnel and occupational health services. Additionally, we perform hearing protection effectiveness measurements and evaluations for industrial clients and provide training on acoustics, noise, and vibration control topics at workplaces.