RVT Group Provide Soundex Noise Control Solution for Covent Garden Redevelopment Works

Project Overview

New Covent Garden Market has been in its Nine Elms location, on the south side of the River Thames, since 1974. It is now undergoing a major overhaul to meet the requirements of 21st century trading. The redesigned complex will allow better traffic flow, with wider spaces between buildings to facilitate quicker, smoother and safer loading and deliveries.

The whole redevelopment will occupy the same site and will proceed in phases to allow the market to continue operating throughout the project. As each phase is completed, tenants will move in, allowing their old premises to be demolished and the next building phase to begin.

It is a massive project; redevelopment commenced in June 2015 and is scheduled for completion in September 2022. The first phase of the project was completed in April 2017 with the opening of the New Flower Market.

Overall, the project will deliver more than half a million square feet of new state-of-the-art market facilities across a 37 acre site. An additional 20 acres of land will be transformed into three high quality residential neighbourhoods comprising 3,000 new homes, 135,000 square feet of office space and 100,000 square feet of retail, leisure and community facilities, including shops, cafés and restaurants.

Challenge

Inevitably with such a large project, considerable noise would be generated. With market activities continuing throughout the redevelopment, there was a particular need to prevent noise affecting the traders and their customers.

Solution

RVT has provided Soundex Quilts to completely surround the active work areas. This barrier not only provides significant protection from the noise of the works but also serves as a visual shield between them and the market traders. This is a major factor in enabling traders to continue operating their businesses while redevelopment takes place around them. Further noise protection is provided in the form of the Soundex Breaker Enclosure; designed specifically to mitigate noise coming from breakers and excavators.

"When applied correctly we have found that the quilts provide a significant noise reduction at source. Complaints from local residents appear to have dropped locally so the product seems to be working well as a noise reduction solution.”