What Does an Acoustic Consultant Do?

An acoustic consultant helps people understand, manage and design sound and vibration.

Their work can involve measuring environmental noise, supporting a planning application, designing sound insulation, controlling mechanical plant noise or helping a room perform better acoustically.

They may work alongside architects, developers, planning consultants, contractors, engineers and building operators throughout the life of a project.

The role is not simply to make places quieter. Good acoustic consultancy is about creating conditions that suit the building, its users and its surroundings.

What is an acoustic consultant?

An acoustic consultant is a specialist who advises on sound and vibration.

They combine engineering, measurement, modelling and professional judgement to understand how sound is being produced, how it travels and how it may affect people or buildings.

Their work may consider:

• Environmental noise
• Planning applications
• Sound insulation
• Room acoustics
• Building-services noise
• Industrial and commercial sound
• Construction noise and vibration
• Speech intelligibility
• Workplace noise exposure
• Acoustic testing
• Noise and vibration monitoring

The Association of Noise Consultants describes acoustic consultancy as playing an important role in good design, effective planning and the management of noise and vibration within the built and natural environment.

Why might you need an acoustic consultant?

You may need an acoustic consultant when sound or vibration could affect:

• Planning permission
• Building design
• Regulatory requirements
• The comfort of occupants
• Privacy between rooms
• Speech clarity
• The use of neighbouring properties
• The performance of mechanical equipment
• A BREEAM assessment
• The investigation of a complaint
• Completion testing

Sometimes the requirement is clear. A planning authority may ask for a noise assessment, or a project specification may set an acoustic performance target.

In other cases, the design team may involve a consultant to identify risks before they become planning, construction or operational problems.

What types of projects use acoustic consultants?

Acoustic consultants work across many building types and sectors, including:

• Residential developments
• Offices and workplace fit-outs
• Schools and universities
• Healthcare buildings
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Retail developments
• Industrial premises
• Laboratories
• Sports facilities
• Entertainment venues
• Mixed-use developments
• Infrastructure projects

Auricl’s current work covers environmental, architectural and building-services acoustics, as well as surveys, testing, monitoring and noise and vibration at work assessments.

The acoustic priorities will differ between projects.

An apartment development may need protection from road traffic and suitable sound insulation between homes. An office may need meeting-room privacy and controlled background noise. A restaurant may need reduced reverberation, while an industrial site may need to assess sound affecting nearby residents.

What does an acoustic consultant do during planning?

Noise can influence whether a proposed development is suitable for a site and what measures may be needed to make it acceptable.

An acoustic consultant may support planning by:

• Measuring existing noise levels
• Identifying the main noise sources
• Assessing nearby noise-sensitive properties
• Predicting future noise levels
• Reviewing the proposed site layout
• Assessing industrial or commercial plant
• Recommending mitigation
• Preparing an acoustic report
• Responding to local authority comments
• Advising on planning conditions

Noise surveys

A noise survey establishes the existing acoustic conditions at or around a site.

This may involve measurements over a short attended period or longer-term unattended monitoring.

The survey needs to be designed carefully. The measurement location, duration, weather, equipment and operating conditions can all affect the result.

Auricl uses noise and vibration measurements to inform planning applications and detailed design, from handheld surveys to longer-term automated monitoring.

Environmental noise assessments

Environmental assessments may consider sources such as:

• Road traffic
• Railways
• Aircraft
• Industrial operations
• Commercial activity
• Building-services plant
• Deliveries
• Demolition and construction work

The consultant selects the assessment method that suits the source and purpose.

For example, BS 4142 may be used to assess industrial or commercial sound affecting nearby homes. BS 5228 is commonly used for construction noise and vibration. Other guidance may apply to transport noise or new residential development.

One assessment method should not be applied automatically to every source.

Noise assessments for residential development

Where new homes are proposed in a noisy area, the consultant may assess whether acceptable internal and external conditions can be achieved.

This could influence:

• Building orientation
• Apartment layouts
• Bedroom positions
• Façade construction
• Glazing
• Ventilation
• Balconies
• Garden areas
• Acoustic barriers

The assessment should consider how the building will work as a whole. High-performance glazing may provide little benefit if residents must open windows for ventilation in noisy conditions.

Plant noise assessments

New air-conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration or other mechanical equipment may require an acoustic assessment.

The consultant may:

• Establish suitable sound limits
• Review manufacturers’ data
• Predict sound at nearby properties
• Account for operating hours
• Assess tonal or intermittent characteristics
• Review equipment locations
• Recommend enclosures, attenuators or barriers
• Carry out post-installation testing

Planning authorities often request this information before approving plant that could affect nearby homes.

What does an acoustic consultant do during building design?

Acoustic design considers how sound behaves within and between buildings.

A consultant may work with the architect and wider design team to establish performance targets and develop suitable constructions.

This can include:

• Sound insulation between rooms
• External noise entering the building
• Noise breaking out from the building
• Room acoustics
• Speech privacy
• Impact sound
• Mechanical-services noise
• Vibration
• Sound systems
• Acoustic requirements for BREEAM

Early coordination is important because acoustic performance is affected by the layout, structure, envelope, finishes and building services.

Sound insulation design

Sound insulation reduces sound passing between spaces.

An acoustic consultant may advise on:

• Walls and floors
• Doors
• Glazing
• Junctions
• Ceiling voids
• Raised floors
• Service penetrations
• Ventilation openings
• Flanking transmission
• Workmanship requirements

A wall’s laboratory rating does not guarantee the same performance in the completed building.

Sound may travel around the wall through floors, ceilings, façades, ducts and structural connections. These alternative paths are known as flanking transmission.

The consultant therefore considers the full construction rather than one product in isolation.

Room acoustics

Room acoustics concern the way sound behaves within a space.

The consultant may consider:

• Reverberation
• Speech intelligibility
• Acoustic clarity
• Echoes
• Sound distribution
• Background noise
• Speech privacy

This may be important in:

• Classrooms
• Meeting rooms
• Open-plan offices
• Restaurants
• Auditoria
• Concert halls
• Healthcare spaces
• Places of worship
• Transport buildings

The aim is not always to absorb as much sound as possible.

A classroom usually needs controlled reverberation to support speech, while a performance space may need a carefully judged balance of absorption, reflection and diffusion.

Building-services acoustics

Heating, ventilation, cooling and electrical equipment can create airborne noise and vibration.

Possible sources include:

• Fans
• Pumps
• Chillers
• Boilers
• Generators
• Air-handling units
• Lifts
• Ductwork
• Grilles
• Pipework

An acoustic consultant may work with the building-services team to:

• Set noise criteria
• Review equipment selections
• Assess duct-borne noise
• Design attenuation
• Control breakout noise
• Reduce air velocities
• Isolate vibration
• Review plant-room constructions
• Predict noise at internal and external locations
• Verify performance after installation

Auricl combines architectural and building-services acoustic advice across projects from planning and design through to construction and final testing.

BREEAM acoustic support

Some BREEAM schemes include acoustic requirements relating to health and wellbeing or pollution.

A suitably qualified acoustician may be needed to:

• Review the relevant criteria
• Establish project targets
• Advise the design team
• Carry out calculations or modelling
• Review drawings and specifications
• Complete measurements
• Prepare supporting evidence

The precise requirements depend on the BREEAM scheme, version, building type and credits being targeted.

Auricl works with BREEAM assessors on relevant Health and Wellbeing and Pollution requirements.

What does an acoustic consultant do during construction?

Acoustic performance can be weakened by design changes, substitutions or poor installation.

During construction, a consultant may:

• Review product submissions
• Comment on alternative constructions
• Inspect walls and floors
• Check junctions and penetrations
• Review acoustic seals
• Inspect vibration isolation
• Answer site queries
• Assess the effects of design changes
• Witness testing
• Identify defects before they are concealed

This can be particularly useful for high-performance constructions, where relatively small gaps or changes can have a significant effect.

Testing at the end of a project is valuable, but it is better to identify a problem before finishes have been completed.

What acoustic testing can a consultant carry out?

Acoustic testing may be used to check a design, satisfy a requirement or investigate a problem.

Common tests include:

• Airborne sound insulation testing
• Impact sound insulation testing
• Reverberation-time measurement
• Speech intelligibility testing
• Building-services noise measurement
• Plant noise testing
• Environmental noise monitoring
• Vibration monitoring
• Workplace noise measurements

The equipment and procedure depend on the type and purpose of the test.

Taking a sound reading is only one part of the work. The consultant must also understand whether the measurement is representative, what standard applies and how the result should be interpreted.

Workplace noise assessments

Workplace noise is different from environmental or building acoustics.

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 require employers to assess and manage risks where employees may be exposed to harmful levels of occupational noise.

The lower exposure action value is a daily or weekly exposure of 80 dB(A). The upper exposure action value is 85 dB(A), with an exposure limit value of 87 dB(A) after accounting for hearing protection. These values relate to personal exposure over time, not simply the sound level recorded beside a machine at one moment.

An assessment may involve:

• Identifying noisy tasks and equipment
• Measuring or estimating personal exposure
• Reviewing how long people are exposed
• Identifying workers at risk
• Recommending technical and organisational controls
• Advising on hearing protection
• Identifying hearing-protection zones
• Supporting training and health-surveillance decisions

The first priority is normally to eliminate or reduce noise at source rather than relying only on hearing protection.

Is an acoustic consultant only needed when noise is loud?

No.

A sound does not need to be extremely loud to create a problem.

Possible issues include:

• A quiet but noticeable tonal hum at night
• Conversations being understood through a meeting-room wall
• Reverberation making speech unclear
• Low-frequency sound from plant
• Footsteps disturbing occupants below
• A ventilation system masking speech
• Music noise affecting neighbouring homes
• Vibration disturbing sensitive equipment
• A room feeling uncomfortably quiet and lacking privacy

Acoustic quality depends on the source, timing, character, context and use of the space, not just the overall decibel level.

Why does good acoustic design matter?

Poor acoustic conditions can affect:

• Sleep
• Concentration
• Communication
• Privacy
• Learning
• Comfort
• Productivity
• Enjoyment of a space
• Relations with neighbours
• Planning and regulatory outcomes

The World Health Organization identifies excessive environmental noise as an important health risk that can disturb sleep, affect performance and contribute to cardiovascular, cognitive and other health effects.

This does not mean that every acoustic issue presents the same level of health risk.

A minor privacy problem in an office and long-term exposure to environmental or workplace noise are different situations. The assessment and advice should match the actual issue.

Does an acoustic consultant install soundproofing?

Usually, no.

An independent acoustic consultant will typically:

• Assess the problem
• Establish suitable targets
• Develop or review the design
• Specify performance requirements
• Recommend suitable measures
• Review contractor proposals
• Inspect the work
• Test the completed result

A contractor or product supplier will normally carry out the installation.

The Association of Noise Consultants explains that consultants generally provide advice and designs that can then be implemented by a suitable contractor, even where some members also supply hardware.

Keeping the design advice separate from the sale of a particular product can help ensure the recommendation is based on the project rather than a predetermined system.

Does an acoustic consultant provide legal advice?

An acoustic consultant may provide technical evidence in a dispute, planning appeal, licensing matter or legal case.

They may:

• Carry out measurements
• Review technical evidence
• Explain relevant standards
• Prepare an expert report
• Attend meetings or hearings
• Act as an expert witness where appropriately instructed

They do not normally provide legal advice unless separately qualified to do so.

Legal interpretation and strategy should come from a suitable solicitor or other legal adviser.

What information will an acoustic consultant need?

The information required depends on the project, but it may include:

• Site address
• Project description
• Drawings
• Planning documents
• Plant schedules
• Manufacturers’ sound data
• Operating hours
• Room uses
• Wall and floor details
• Building-services designs
• Previous acoustic reports
• Relevant complaints
• Planning conditions
• Target standards or BREEAM credits
• The expected construction programme

Providing accurate information early helps the consultant define an appropriate scope and avoid unnecessary assumptions.

What happens when you appoint an acoustic consultant?

A typical process may include the following stages.

1. Initial review

The consultant reviews the project, available information and the reason acoustic advice is needed.

They may recommend a short call to clarify the scope.

2. Proposal

The proposal should explain:

• The work included
• Any surveys or testing required
• The information the client must provide
• The expected outputs
• Assumptions
• Exclusions
• Fees
• Likely timescales

3. Survey or design review

The consultant carries out the agreed measurements, calculations, modelling or design work.

4. Reporting and recommendations

The findings are presented in a report, drawing mark-up, specification, schedule or other suitable format.

Good advice should explain:

• What was assessed
• What the results mean
• What action is required
• Which assumptions matter
• What should happen next

5. Ongoing support

Acoustic requirements often evolve as a project develops.

The consultant may continue to help with:

• Local authority comments
• Design changes
• Contractor questions
• Product substitutions
• Site inspections
• Testing
• Remedial advice

A good report is only part of the service. The project team also needs access to someone who can explain the findings and help apply them.

When should you appoint an acoustic consultant?

The best time is usually before key planning or design decisions have been fixed.

Consider seeking advice early where:

• A planning application may need a noise assessment
• Homes are proposed near transport or commercial noise
• New plant is being installed near residents
• A development contains noisy and sensitive uses
• Privacy is important
• A room has demanding speech or music requirements
• BREEAM acoustic credits are being targeted
• A planning condition requires testing
• Noise or vibration complaints have been received
• Workplace noise may be harmful
• An existing building has an unexplained acoustic problem

Early advice generally gives the project team more options.

It may be possible to change the layout, move equipment or select a better construction. Once a building has been completed, the available solutions can become more expensive and disruptive.

How do you choose an acoustic consultant?

Useful points to consider include:

• Experience with similar projects
• Relevant qualifications
• Membership of a professional body
• Association of Noise Consultants membership
• Clear understanding of the project requirements
• Suitable measurement and modelling capability
• Appropriate professional indemnity insurance
• Clear proposals and reporting
• Ability to explain technical issues
• Availability during later project stages
• Independence from particular product manufacturers

The right consultant should be technically capable and easy for the wider team to work with.

Auricl’s team includes members of the Institute of Acoustics with experience across environmental, architectural and building-services acoustics, surveys, modelling, monitoring and testing.

Common misconceptions about acoustic consultants

“They only measure noise”

Measurements are important, but consultants also design, predict, model, specify, inspect, advise and interpret.

“They make every space quieter”

The aim is to create appropriate acoustic conditions. A concert hall, office, home and restaurant each need something different.

“An acoustic product will solve the problem”

Products only work when they suit the source, transmission path, construction and required outcome.

“They can guarantee planning permission”

An acoustic report can provide evidence and recommend mitigation, but the planning decision rests with the relevant authority.

“They are only needed at the end for testing”

Testing can identify whether a target has been achieved. It cannot always correct a design that was unsuitable from the beginning.

“Any decibel reading is enough”

Measurements need suitable equipment, methods, positions, conditions and interpretation.

Why work with auricl?

Auricl provides acoustic consultancy across the main stages of a project, including:

• Noise and vibration surveys
• Environment and planning assessments
• Architectural acoustics
• Building-services acoustics
• BREEAM acoustic support
• Testing and monitoring

The team works with developers, architects, planning consultants, project managers, contractors and building-services engineers.

The aim is to give clients clear reports, practical recommendations and continued support as the project develops.

Talk to auricl about your project

Not sure whether you need an acoustic consultant or what type of assessment applies?

Tell us what you are working on and what you need to achieve. We’ll review the information and suggest the right next step.