Our Services
We offer a wide range of services to meet your project requirements
Our Services
Architectural Acoustics
Our services for architectural acoustics include measuring, analyzing, predicting, and engineering all components of architectural
acoustic design. The need for special attention to acoustical design is fundamental performing arts
centers and recording studios. State, local, and federal building codes require that specific architectural acoustic standards be met for single and multi-family housing. Increasingly, the need for proper acoustical design has penetrated all building types, from schools and hospitals to offices and worship spaces.
Audiovisual and Sound System Design
Relying on a contractor to provide an unbiased system design? Think again. While AV contractors often provide quality sound and video systems, they are also motivated to install specific products that they are exclusive dealers for and select equipment with the highest profit margins. An owner, architect, engineer, or general contractor requesting bids from several AV contractors will get back several different designs in return. Each design may “work” for the specific project, but the designs will vary considerably by cost, performance, features, ease of use, and more. In addition, since the contractor is providing the design at a low rate or free of charge hoping to win the contract, the proposals often lack the detail necessary to be of any value to the design team.
A consultant-driven design from AEC avoids the pitfalls described above. Our design provides a high-quality audiovisual system tailored to a client’s needs. AEC does not sell any equipment, thereby avoiding biases toward specific brands/products. Engineers at AEC also have the unique experience of designing, building, and testing custom speakers for critical home theater applications. This ensures we will not be swayed by clever marketing schemes from manufacturer’s selling an inferior quality product at a premium price. Bids from AV contractors based on an AEC design will be truly competitive because each contractor will bid on the same coherent set of specifications and drawings. AEC designs with an in-depth knowledge of the acoustics within the space, ensuring the loudspeaker type, position, and aiming integrates with the architectural acoustics.
Noise and Vibration Control
Noise and vibration control includes many aspects of architectural, environmental, and industrial acoustics with the addition of the mechanical acoustics field. Mechanical acoustics focuses on background sound and vibration levels due to Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment.
Control of background sound and vibration levels is important in just about any building. Performing arts and recording environments often require very low background sound and vibration levels so as to not distract from the performance or be present in an audio track. In classrooms, excess noise results in reduced learning ability and concentration. Excess noise and vibration in offices directly impact worker productivity, costing precious time and money for the employer. High noise in hospitals leads to patient discomfort, sleep deprivation, and increased recovery time. Excess noise in lodging results in low occupancy rates and unused meeting/conference facilities.
There are other more specialized areas of noise and vibration control engineering. One example is monitoring vibration levels from construction activities to prevent existing building damage. A second example is the careful design of buildings housing sensitive imaging equipment. Excess vibration can shake equipment and degrade image quality. Another example is the use of HVAC or loudspeaker systems to maintain background sound levels to mask conversations in an open-plan office environment.
Noise and Vibration Monitoring
Construction, demolition, and other loud events such as music festivals benefit from noise and vibration monitoring. This helps control and minimize negative impacts on surrounding properties. Noise and vibration control plans and continuous monitoring can sometimes be required by a project’s environmental impact report. Uncontrolled vibration and noise can be a nuisance, negatively impact the health and well-being of surrounding building occupants. Unchecked vibration levels can even lead to structural damage of surrounding buildings.
AEC has experience developing noise & vibration control plans and implementing long-term noise & vibration monitoring. This experience includes monitoring of occupied, historically significant, and fragile buildings. Our services include monitor deployment, continuous 24/7 data collection for months or years at a time, real-time alerts of vibration level exceedances, and custom periodic data reporting from remote noise & vibration monitors. Measurements are interpreted and explained by noise & vibration experts at AEC. AEC has experience consulting for construction and demolition companies to provide reasonable goals for noise & vibration reduction while minimizing impacts on schedule and cost.
Environmental Acoustics
Federal, state, and local codes require that a noise impact study be completed for residential developments and other land uses exposed to high sound levels. Typically, these studies are required when single or multifamily housing is close to a busy roadway, rail line, or airport. Both exterior and interior sound level limits must be met.
AEC is adept at completing noise impact studies for developers, owners, and architects. The process usually involves taking sound measurements at various locations at the project site, analysis of the data to calibrate a transportation noise model, prediction of future sound levels, development of mitigation measures where required to meet code, and writing a report to submit to the local jurisdiction requiring the study.
Environmental acoustics also includes addressing noise issues from industrial and commercial sources and their impact on the surrounding environment. Sources include car washes, power generation facilities, HVAC equipment, and even sound systems from an outdoor amphitheater. Our services include analysis of these environmental acoustics issues.
Industrial Acoustics
Acoustical conditions within a factory are often very poor. Workers in a reverberant room are in close proximity to noisy machinery. This combination can result in required hearing protection and mandatory participation in hearing conservation programs. Industrial acoustics can also transition into environmental acoustics, where industrial or construction sources potentially impact surrounding noise-sensitive areas. A comprehensive analysis and noise control program will be applied by AEC to reduce machinery noise levels, provide attenuation in the path between the noise source and receiver, and provide hearing conservation and/or noise control measures at impacted receivers.
