Community Hall’s Internal Design Creates Noise Issue

PROJECT:

Commercial acoustics

INDUSTRY TYPE:

Construction

CLIENT:

Lachlan Shire Council

LOCATION:

Condobolin

Initial project requirements:

Lachlan Shire Council completed their new community hall in late 2017, to be used for activities from social events and balls, to community meetings and local interest groups, they were unaware of a major oversight which was about to make itself apparent

The community hall was designed incorporating bare brick walls inside and a plasterboard ceiling; the conditions would prove to be ideal for creating an environment with intolerable echoes.

The reverberation was so severe that the hall organisers were forced to move planned events elsewhere – and even make presentations outside the hall so they could be understood!

There was an urgent need for sound attenuation. After obtaining a noise assessment, Lachlan Shire Council called Flexshield for a solution.

Project challenges:

Lachlan Shire Council had an acoustician perform sound tests in the building to determine the ideal solution to reduce noise.

The acoustician burst balloons in the hall to generate a short, sharp “crack” sound, which was used to establish an accurate reference point for the measurement.

The issue was immediately apparent. Instead of an ideal reverberation time of 0.8-1.2 seconds, the hall suffered from an exacerbated 8 second reverberation time. Explaining why the room was unusable. The community hall’s bare walls and ceiling and its hard floors were causing sound waves to bounce back and forth, affecting conversations and music. Flexshield’s expert design team and installers created a customised solution to the noise issue.

Flexshield solution:

For an effective and efficient solution, Flexshield referred Lachlan Shire Council to the commercial side of our business. Avenue Interior Systems delivered and installed 25 mm absorptive Calando panel on 50% of the ceiling area, and two sections of 100 mm absorptive panel on the walls. The wall panels – the same material used in acoustic enclosures – feature a perforated surface that does a great job of absorbing sound and reducing reverberation.

The Flexshield Group solution provided a very aesthetic solution for the community space. Absorptive panels supplied in white for use on the ceiling, and in a neutral colour to blend in with the existing walls.

Contact Flexshield on 1300 799 969 for noise control solutions for your business.