Demolition noise control

Acoustic products for demolition and strip-out works

Demolition generates some of the most intense and unpredictable noise on any construction project. Jackhammers, concrete saws, hydraulic breakers, crushers and heavy machinery can produce high-impact noise that carries significant distances and is difficult to contain without purpose-built products.

On projects in CBD locations, occupied buildings, hospital precincts and near schools, managing that noise is often the difference between maintaining a working relationship with surrounding occupants and having work stopped.

Flexshield manufactures temporary acoustic products designed for the realities of active demolition sites: fast to deploy, durable enough to last a project and flexible enough to move as the work progresses.

The challenge of demolition noise

Demolition noise is characterised by high peak levels and sudden changes in frequency and direction. A work zone that was quiet yesterday can become the loudest area on site today. Products need to be quick to install, easy to reposition and capable of delivering meaningful attenuation even when deployed in imperfect conditions.

The other challenge is site proximity. Demolition works often occupy shared buildings or sites adjacent to sensitive receivers. Containing noise within a defined perimeter is frequently not enough. Products need to be placed close to the source, on the noise path to the most affected receivers.

Common demolition noise sources

Jackhammers and hydraulic breakers, concrete saws and cutting equipment, crushers and debris-processing equipment, heavy plant and machinery, generators, and cutting and grinding tools are the primary noise sources on demolition projects.

Acoustic products for demolition sites

Sonic acoustic curtains: Flexshield’s heavy-duty acoustic curtains can be suspended from scaffolding, draped around work zones or used to line hoarding panels. They provide portable acoustic separation around the noisiest work areas and can be moved as demolition progresses to different floors or zones.

Sonic acoustic quilts: Lighter and more flexible than curtains, acoustic quilts are suited to wrapping equipment, covering openings and lining internal partitions. Easy to handle and store on active sites where storage space is limited.

Sonic acoustic enclosures: For cutting and grinding operations where containment of the work activity itself is required, temporary acoustic products can be installed around the work zone to reduce noise at the source rather than relying on path attenuation alone.

Sonic acoustic barriers: Where separation between demolition zones and sensitive receivers needs to be maintained throughout the project, modular acoustic barrier panels can be positioned and reconfigured as work progresses through different stages.