Noise Control Engineering for Transportation

As consultants for organizations, such as Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), we provide the best knowledge and experience in noise control engineering to control and reduce noise caused by traffic from planes, trains and cars.

Airports

Aercoustics has measured and modelled aircraft noise on a wide variety of projects and we have worked with multiple airports over our long history. Aercoustics is proud that, between 2009-2014, we were a member of the Green Aviation Research & Development Network (GARDN).

The field of air traffic noise assessment and municipal permitting does not always provide clear protocols and targets for aircraft noise, so with our experience you can trust that a thorough and reliable assessment of aircraft noise will be completed.

We worked with the Toronto Port Authority (TPA) in the design of a run-up barrier to attenuate noise from the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, designed the Markham Stouffville Hospital to protect the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit from the helipad above, and addressed the noise from flightpaths on developments across Canada.

Civil Works

Our team has significant noise control design experience for road, infrastructure, and transit civil works projects. We have analyzed the noise impacts from transit and road networks throughout North America and have provided recommendations for noise and vibration mitigation for new roads, road expansions, streetcar and subway routes, and similar.

Some of our services include: long-term noise and vibration measurements and monitoring; environmental assessments; detailed acoustical models to evaluate the impact of proposed expansions and developments; recommendations for noise controls to minimize impact to residents; discussions and exercises regarding the feasibility of practical noise and vibration control measures; and presenting and attendance at public consultations. We have supported Environmental Assessments for GO Transit railway lines and road widening studies across Ontario.

Cronus is a monitoring system offered as a managed service by Aercoustics. Developed from our own proprietary devices, Cronus is a fully remote noise and vibration monitoring solution. The system’s flexibility enables customization for the specific needs of any application, including continuous monitoring from its web-based dashboard. Cronus has been customized noise and vibration monitoring of transit and construction projects (and many other applications).

Rail Noise & Vibration

We are the rail noise and vibration experts. Our prediction methodologies, assessment, and measurement methods continue to expand based on our growing knowledge in the field of acoustics. Custom built monitoring equipment specifically designed and built for the transit industry is one of our many innovations. With our large group of technical staff, all experienced measuring many different aspects rail systems across North America, we have the capability, expertise and staff required to provide a full range of sophisticated measurements on short notice. Aercoustics has proven this ability on many occasions, conducting simultaneous noise and vibration measurements at locations across networks of streetcar and subway lines, completing data analysis and complex mitigation design on tight deadlines. Our firm has unique instrumentation capabilities for conducting multi-channel sound and vibration measurements. Aercoustics has extensive experience and exposure to the challenge of measuring and monitoring noise and vibration generated from rail systems and associated activities. This is demonstrated by major measurements and mitigation projects for GO Transit, CN Rail, Toronto Transit Commission, among others.

Light Rail Transit

We understand the challenges of mitigating, measuring, and monitoring noise and vibration generated from Light Rail Transit. We continue to develop and refine our methodologies on an ongoing basis on various projects for the Finch West Light Rail Transit, Ottawa Light Rail Transit, Minneapolis Central Corridor Light Rail Transit, major light rail transit operators in the Greater Toronto Area, and many more.

Our team deals with all aspects of Light Rail Transit. We are on board from day one helping develop competitive bids, supporting track design, and monitoring construction. This expertise is guided by our 10,000+ hours measuring transit noise and vibration (including surface and bore hole detailed vibration propagation testing and Force Density Level testing (LSTM & FDL) as per the Federal Transit Administration).

We are one of the few firms in North America that have the capabilities to offer full noise and vibration support from design to operations and maintenance. Aercoustics has developed advanced algorithms for detecting wheel condition and rail condition that is applicable to any railway system. This means guiding maintenance activities to help prevent noise complaints.

These complex projects interact with many sensitive users and noise and vibration is a major concern. Aercoustics’ design services have saved our clients millions of dollars and plenty of headaches.

Transit Maintenance and Storage Facilities

Typical noise reduction issues associated with Transportation Maintenance and Storage facilities are engine idling noise, rolling noise and that ear-piercing high pitched squeal from tight turns in the yard.

In the case of streetcar maintenance facilities, we developed testing methodology that mounted microphones on the vehicle to determine the noise emissions generated between the wheel and the rail. This testing led to the acoustic modeling of the facility, and to the design of noise control solutions to reduce noise emissions and complaints from residents in proximity. As well, we helped our client select noise mitigation options from the supplier of the vehicle.

Stations

We have been privileged to apply our expertise to transit station and terminal projects for outdoor sound propagation review, modelling, and mitigation including stations across the Toronto Transit Commission Toronto-York Spadina Subway Line Extension, Union Station, Lester B. Pearson Airport Terminal 1, and Toronto’s Eaton Centre.

Outdoor noise propagation is an important concern for station design as station ventilation noise runs the risk of affecting neighbouring residents. Our services include providing acoustic and vibration assessment to clients in support of their applications for new or updated Environmental Activity Sector Registry (EASR) and Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP), the development and implementation of Noise Abatement Action Plans (NAAP), and acoustic design of transportation infrastructure spaces.

Aercoustics has provided acoustical engineering services for the purposes of designing and improving existing transit station acoustics for ensuring adequate speech intelligibility from the PA system. Understanding messages from the transit operators are essential for information purposes and especially for emergency situations. We have developed complex acoustic models of platforms, concourse, stairwells and entrances with speaker type and placement as input to evaluate the base acoustic condition of the entire terminal. We deliver successful multi-purpose acoustic designs for clients, which lets them maximize the use of real estate space, and in some cases increase opportunity for revenue.