Auralisation Animation to Reduce Noise Pollution

One of the most common challenges facing construction sites is the impact of noise on the surrounding neighbourhood. Traditional hoarding offers little acoustic protection, so sites need to seek different methods of mitigating noise pollution.

See the examples below for how one site addressed this:

• As the work needed to be conducted 24/7, the site proposed a 12m high acoustic enclosure over the tunnel shaft on the site to minimise noise.
• However, this received considerable opposition from local residents who were concerned their properties would be overshadowed with little benefit to themselves.
• The project’s Digital Engineering (BIM) team worked with a noise specialist to create an auralisation animation.
• The noise specialists provided an audio recording of construction noise from a similar tunnelling project and adjusted the noise level to represent the necessity of the acoustic enclosure.
• The auralisation animation was presented during community meetings and drop in sessions to show the benefits of the enclosures and placate residents’ concerns.

This initiative had environmental benefits by reducing noise pollution, community benefits by addressing residents’ concerns, and economic benefits by avoiding costly alternative mitigation options.