dBx for Property Developers

dBx Acoustics works alongside developers such as Mulbury, Urban Splash, Acorn Blue and Marrico Asset Management to support their projects at all stages of construction, from planning through to construction and completion. We pride ourselves on being able to provide this comprehensive service as a ‘one stop’ for all of your noise and acoustic related requirements.

Examples of the services we provide at different stages include;

Planning

  • Noise and vibration surveys and noise impact assessment for planning

  • Acoustic modelling to predict noise impact on speculative development.

  • Advice on glazing and ventilation strategy for compliance with relevant standards and planning requirements.

  • BS8233:2014 residential and commercial noise impact assessment.

  • BS4142:2014 plant noise impact assessment.

Detailed Design

  • Advice on appropriate acoustic design standards with reference to both formal and informal requirements including planning requirements, British Standards, Building Regulations and BREEAM.

  • Acoustic specification of floors and partitions to control airborne and impact sound insulation.

  • Room acoustic design and modelling to ensure appropriate conditions for your project – whether it’s a school, office, restaurant, conference centre, or even a concert hall – there’s nothing we can’t help with.

  • Building services noise control, both within a building to provide appropriate acoustic conditions, and control of noise emissions to the surrounding area.

  • Acoustic specification of façade and glazing to control noise intrusion and noise emissions.

  • Junction and penetration details to control sound flanking.

Construction

  • BS5228 construction noise impact assessment and Section 61 (S61) agreements.

  • Construction noise, dust and vibration monitoring.

Handover

  • Acoustic commissioning testing to confirm compliance with standards such as BB93 (schools), HTM 08-01 (healthcare), and Approved Document E (residential).

  • Verification noise surveys to confirm compliance with planning conditions.

  • dBx Acoustics is UKAS accredited (laboratory number 9473) to carry out sound insulation testing for Building Control compliance.

Here’s our recent work

Noise impact assessment
Noise impact assessment

Industrial Noise Investigation

During 2021, an industrial facility at Trafford Park, Manchester contacted dBx Acoustics to assist them with the investigation and resolution of noise complaints received from residents a new build development who had also involved the Environment Agency.

dBx carried out a night-time noise survey at the affected properties, which were 500 metres away from the client’s premises, to identify and quantify the noise reported by the residents. As our client’s premises was in the middle of a large industrial site with other noise generating operations in the area, our remit was to identify whether (a) the noise was emanating from our client’s site and (b) whether the problematic noise existed prior to the residential development and therefore arguably should have been mitigated for in the residential design.

Our extensive measurements established the source of the noise was a specific item of equipment on the client’s site.

We then carried out a detailed review of the planning documentation associated with the residential development. The documentation included multiple noise assessments by different consultants, with disagreement between them as to the impact of industrial noise on the proposed residential properties and the mitigation measures required. Our review found the planning noise impact assessments had only focused on the impact of noise during the day from a scrapyard adjacent to the residential development and had not included overnight noise measurements to assess more distant industrial noise.

We then analysed historic noise data and together with our own measurements we were able to demonstrate there had been no change in the industrial noise levels affecting the residential development since planning permission was granted. An assessment of the mitigation measures included within the planning noise impact assessments identified that these should be appropriate to control noise affecting residents to within acceptable limits.

The Environment Agency’s permit relating to the industrial site requires activities at the site ‘shall be free from noise and vibration levels likely to cause pollution outside the site’. A BS4142 assessment was carried out based on the noise levels measured by dBx Acoustics which identified the industrial noise would not be expected to adversely affect residential amenity.

The noise levels measured at the residential properties were found to be compliant with the Local Authority’s requirements for noise levels affecting residential amenity.

It was concluded our client was compliant with all relevant permits and legislation, and no further action by the Environment Agency was required.

","versionString":"wp\/v2\/"}; /* ]]> */