Specialty
Noise / Vibration
SECTOR
Commercial
TYPE
Environmental Study
CLIENTELE
Private Sector
TIMESPAN
2006-2007LOCATION
Billerica, MA
Project Number:
2721Billerica Mall Redevelopment
SERVICE:
Noise Impact Analysis
DESCRIPTION:
The Billerica Mall Redevelopment needed noise consulting services for a proposed project that involved replacing the mall portion of the site with large retail stores. A study was needed to examine whether the mechanical equipment for the redevelopment would create less noise at nearby sensitive locations than the mechanical equipment that was already in use at the mall.
Tech performed a qualitative analysis that compared the number, size, and location of the existing mall's mechanical equipment to the proposed equipment for the redevelopment. Tech compared the overall sound generation of the equipment, the size of the equipment in tons of heating/cooling, and the distance of the equipment from the closest sensitive locations. Shielding by the roofs was taken into account. The acoustic modeling demonstrated that as a result of the redevelopment, environmental sound levels in the neighborhood would decrease. When the redevelopment plan changed, Tech redid the analysis to include a Home Depot and several other retail stores and demonstrated that environmental sound levels in the neighborhood would still decrease.
Key Points
- The Billerica Mall Redevelopment needed noise consulting services for a proposed project that involved replacing the mall portion of the site with large retail stores.
- Tech performed a noise analysis that demonstrated that the overall noise levels in the neighborhood would decrease as a result of the redevelopment.