When Hann Tucker Associates (HTA), the UK’s largest independent acoustic consultancy, found its clients’ requirements were beginning to exceed the capabilities of the noise and vibration monitoring equipment it was using, it turned to Svantek to supply replacements to meet its clients’ demands.
Established in 1971, HTA works in commercial, residential and industrial construction in both the UK and overseas, providing environmental surveys, noise, vibration and acoustics assessments, building sound insulation and air tightness testing as well as noise, vibration, and dust monitoring for demolition and building sites.
The objective
HTA needed more up-to-date equipment, especially environmental noise and vibration monitoring stations that could send alerts, via text or email, when certain criteria were exceeded.
“The noise monitoring equipment we used before changing to Svantek units were Larson Davis 824 and 820 models,” says Simon Hancock, Managing Director of HTA, who has over 20 years’ experience at the firm. “We also used their Syscom MR2002 ‘Red Box’ units or Vibrock V901 units for vibration monitoring, depending on the requirements of the job.”
HTA had a look at various products from different manufacturers and then contacted those that appeared to meet its requirements. “We asked each supplier a number of questions regarding the function and features of their units and invited some in to our offices to give us a demonstration,” recounts Simon.
The solution
By the end of March 2011, having gone through a rigorous selection process, HTA decided to go with Svantek equipment because it was more modern, and provided extremely resilient remote communication and alerting facilities.
“Svantek’s instruments came across as the best option, because they are robust, can be operated from a distance, and have a variety of alarm and notification capabilities,” explains Simon.
The company currently owns three types of Svantek noise and/or vibration meters, as well as a Svantek SV 111 multi-frequency vibration calibrator, which is used to calibrate various transducers that are associated with HTA’s vibration monitoring equipment.
The portable, weather-protected noise and vibration stations consist of four SV 211 environmental sound monitoring stations used for periodical noise monitoring, and 13 SV 212 noise and vibration monitoring stations. The company uses the SV 211s and SV 212s for long-term monitoring of demolition and construction sites, mainly in central London.
HTA has also previously purchased a SVAN 948 four-channel sound and vibration data logger for conducting short-term noise and vibration surveys.
Benefits
The benefits to HTA of using Svantek monitoring stations have been numerous. First, it is extremely cost effective as it allows the company to reduce the amount of time its employees spend visiting sites.
Second, they can control the function and access the data recorded by the Svantek instruments remotely from the comfort of their offices.
Third, the ability to monitor noise and vibration simultaneously at one position makes for added efficiency, since it is much more effective for the firm to use one combined unit from Svantek than two separate units.
Fourth, the text and email alert function is a very important feature for many of HTA’s clients that the company was not able to offer with its previous equipment.
The future for environmental noise and vibration monitoring
HTA intends to expand its site monitoring services by introducing real-time web access for clients to the noise and vibration levels being recorded at their sites.
“This will enable our clients to keep on top of the noise and vibration conditions imposed upon them by Local Authorities and to allow them to manage the disturbance caused by their site activities to local residents and businesses,” concludes Simon.
