Specialist Noise Control Solutions Supports a Major Sewer Replacement Project

Project Overview

The Clancy Group provide infrastructure support to the utilities, civil engineering, traffic management and plant sectors. On this particular project, The Clancy Group were tasked by their client to carry out major sewer replacement works. This project required a road closure in the city centre of Edinburgh, near to Haymarket Station. The area features a number of hotels, guest houses, as well as residential properties immediately adjacent to, and over looking the site, as well as pedestrians walking past regularly.

The full scope of the project was to replace a 60m stretch of sewer pipes, working in 12m sections at a time. Equipment being used included a hydraulic breaker attached to a digger to break up sections of the road, followed by vacuum excavation to safely excavate around the underground utilities. Both of these activities would create significant noise pollution.

Challenge

The Clancy Group identified noise control was imperative to the job due to the excessive noise levels being created. Protecting the hearing of the workers, hotels guests, residents and pedestrians was imperative throughout the project.

Hydraulic breakers are high performing mechanical devices used to demolish concrete. When in use they can create noise pollution reaching between 120 130dB. When noise levels reach 85dB or above, employers must provide hearing protection, and hearing protection zones.

Following the use of the hydraulic breaker, a vacuum excavation was used to safely excavate around the underground utilities, this was going to create substantial noise, causing disruption.

Solution

RVT Group carried out a free site survey to truly understand the challenges Clancy Group were facing. Our experienced consultants were then able to provide a bespoke, effective noise control solution suitable for the project.

RVT installed a SOUNDEX^® Breaker Shroud for the hydraulic breaker activities.

The SOUNDEX^® Breaker Shroud was used for its effective ability in creating acoustic shadows, and providing a noise reduction of up to 32.2dB. The SOUNDEX^® Breaker Shroud is made up of an acoustic roof and walls, these create an acoustic shadow that absorb the soundwaves and prevent them from travelling. This reduces the level of noise that is heard in the ‘shadow zone’, which is anywhere outside the shroud. With this equipment being on wheels, it was easy for the contactor to erect the equipment on top of the hydraulic breaking as the works moved along the 60m stretch.

The vacuum excavation activities provided a more difficult challenge. Due to the size of the lorry and what’s involved with vacuum excavating, noise control on top of the works is not possible. RVT provided eight SOUNDEX^® Acoustic Quilts to reduce the noisy activities.