Noise annoyance is a common issue with HVAC units and systems. Neighbouring residences and businesses often have to tolerate the incessant droning of HVACs from office buildings, factories, and many other types of buildings. These units, and especially collections of them – as may be required on larger buildings – can be dangerously loud, posing a host of serious health risks for people in the vicinity. A popular solution to HVAC noise is to install noise barriers around the HVAC units in order to reduce the noise to a safer, less pervasive level.
Noise barriers are used in all sorts of applications to prevent the impact of noise on people in the vicinity. The effectiveness of the noise barrier as a solution will depend on various factors, including the distance separating the noise source from the barrier (the closer they are, the more effective the performance of the barrier), the acoustic qualities of the noise (eg. is it made up of higher frequencies, lower frequencies, or both?) and the barriers material composition. There are advantages and disadvantages to the different noise barrier types:
Concrete & wood barriers:
Dense, heavy materials are very effective at blocking noise, preventing noise from passing through to the other side. The downside is that their surfaces are very reflective, which means that a large portion of the noise that reaches the barrier bounces off it, sending it off in another direction, escaping into the atmosphere anyway. This isn't an ideal solution, as the noise is still present in the air.
Cooling and heating systems are notoriously renowned for creating noise issues.
Fixed noise barrier solutions:
Purpose-designed fixed barriers address the reflection issue presented by dense barrier materials, offering high absorption that removes most of the noise from the air. Although their absorption capabilities are unmatched, the downside to fixed barriers is that they are cumbersome and heavy, resulting in costly installation, repositioning, and removal.
Portable noise barrier solutions:
A noise barrier designed for mobility as well as acoustic performance addresses both cost and noise level issues presented by alternatives. Portable noise barriers are lightweight and are capable of considerable noise reduction, although they may, lack the durability necessary for prolonged outdoor use.
Echo Barrier, however, is a portable noise barrier that is designed, tested, and certified for resistance to wind, fire, water, smoke, and UV, appropriate for use in almost any work environment.
Echo Barrier is the highest-performing noise barrier on the market. Capable of over 25 dB noise reduction in the field, and with laboratory testing resulting in 42 dB noise reduction, the range of modular barriers is adaptable to any situation while delivering levels of noise reduction unrivalled by other portable barriers.