The Latest News & Articles

Spectrum act as BREEAM Acoustic Consultant

28 November 2016

BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is used widely in the construction industry to determine the sustainability of buildings. Within the method is the need to determine the acoustic sustainability of a building, and Spectrum frequently act as the BREEAM Acoustic Consultant, to help the developer, design team and contractor achieve the BREEAM Acoustic Credits, that count towards the overall certification standard […..]

On-Demand and Real-Time noise monitoring reports required from Consultants, in Noise Management Plans for highly sensitive projects

27 October 2016

Planning Authorities are increasingly demanding Noise Management Plans from Consultants which provide for real-time or on-demand provision of noise monitoring reports. This article shows how this demanding technology is now being implemented […..]

Sport England publish guidance on assessing noise from artificial grass pitches – AGP, (sometimes called Multi-Use Games Areas – MUGA)

01 September 2016

Spectrum have developed a robust way to evaluate noise from sports pitches (MUGA or AGP), which has proven successful. A proper acoustic evaluation can avoid very expensive mistakes and can ease a consultation process. We would be pleased to help you develop your proposals […..]

Landmark decision allowing hydraulic stimulation (fracking) to take place in North Yorkshire. Spectrum provided noise expertise for this onshore gas development project

19 August 2016

Third Energy have been successful in their application to hydraulically fracture (frack) an existing operating gas well at a long established site near Kirby Misperton in North Yorkshire. This is the first successful application made, since the moratorium on fracking was lifted by the UK government in 2012 […..]

Proposed new Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) moves into Community Consultation phase

12 August 2016

Spectrum are acting as noise and vibration specialists on the proposed Rail Central SRFI which will occupy a large site to the west of Northampton near the villages of Milton Malsor and Blisworth. The application which is being considered under the arrangements for nationally significant infrastructure projects, is now moving into the consultation phase […..]

Contracts for a trio of Renewable Energy Biomass Plants in the UK

02 August 2016

A contract for the detailed noise design of buildings and balance of plant equipment has been awarded to Spectrum for a trio of three renewable power plants (10MW) at Hull, Boston and Barry, in the UK by Galliford Try and their designers GHD Livigunn […..]

Government introduces amendments to the Town & Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Act requiring noise to be considered

07 June 2016

On 6 April 2016, the government introduced some amendments to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Act.

Measurement of Equipment Sound Power in a Factory Environment using Sound Intensity methods

11 May 2016

There is often a broad range in the quality of product acoustic data that is provided by mechanical services equipment suppliers. Some can be hard to interpret, giving only part of the information required to define noise output, which can lead to imprecision or error. On the other hand, some companies undertake detailed and exact measurements under controlled conditions for a variety of running conditions and of different components of the equipment. For example, the sound output of industrial fans vary with fan speed. Also there is a different proportion of the sound energy that comes from the inlet, discharge and casing […..]

Noise Consultancy for Burger King Drive-Thru Restaurants

18 April 2016

Building on our experience of conducting Planning Noise Impact Assessments in the hospitality industry, Spectrum have recently provided consultancy services for several proposed new Burger King drive-thru restaurants […..]

Demand for Sound Intensity Measurement services continues to grow

18 February 2016

Demand for Sound Intensity measurement services provided by Spectrum continues to grow as ISO 9614 measurement standards are increasingly specified as the preferred method for sound power level measurement. However, the benefits of sound intensity measurement extend well beyond equipment noise testing [….]