Why You Should Consider Getting Acoustic Barriers For Your Construction Site

Some people may hesitate to buy fantastic new acoustic barriers because of the added costs and the need to set them up. Some may wonder, ‘is it actually worth all the hassle to order and set up noise barriers?’

In fact, investing in high-quality acoustic barriers can improve the lives of you, your workers and everyone in the area. If you are still deciding whether or not to get acoustic barriers for your worksite, you should know about the following benefits:

They’re Easy To Set Up. Acoustic barriers require no electricity or extra mechanisms to work. Therefore, to get them to work, all you need to do is set them up in the right way. Once they’re in the right position, they’ll do what they do best and reduce the noise that escapes your worksite.

You can also place sound barriers around specific parts of your worksite rather than only around your site’s borders. This means that you can section off noisy equipment to make the area more pleasant for your workers. You can also get custom strip curtains to make your site more organised and manageable.

You Can Get Them In Custom Sizes And Colours. At Duraflex Distributions, we create all of our solutions ourselves. So, you can tell us your specific wants and needs, and we will do our absolute best to build noise barriers that are perfect for you. This means we can make sound barriers that are a specific size or colour to suit your needs.

They’ll Reduce Noise Pollution In The Area. Noise pollution isn’t just annoying; it can also be very dangerous.  Excessive noise can cause stress, anxiety, heightened blood pressure and even hearing loss to everyone exposed to it for an extended period of time.

Therefore, by smartly controlling your noise output with noise barriers, you are protecting everyone around you while continuing your important construction work. Everyone in the area can continue with their lives and stay mentally and physically healthy.

They’ll Make Communicating Easier. Communication is vital in any group project. So, as you can imagine, having to shout over heavy equipment noise isn’t convenient or easy. Excessive noise can really kill your communication skills and possibly lead to mistakes, fights or damaged relationships.

But, when your worksite is quieter, you and your workers will be able to hear each other without the need to scream or shout.

With the help of excellent noise barriers and more effective communication, you can also reduce the chance of horrible injuries or mistakes that could set everyone back. Communication and staying productive are vital when you want to complete your work on time.

Plastic Door Curtains Offer Flexible And Customisable Solutions Here’s How:

A cost efficient alternative to building new internal walls.

Plastic door curtains offer you the flexibility to divide the various areas of your workplace so you can utilize the space to best fit your needs. Plastic door curtains are a more efficient solution to building new walls, as they are lightweight, easy to transport and store, with none of the mess associated with traditional construction.

Plastic door curtains are also efficient in their durability, they are designed to contain chemicals, fumes, dust and pollution, which means you are dividing your space with materials that will stand the test of time. Plastics offer modern and durable solutions for every business’s requirements.

Entirely customisable for their purpose.

Plastic door curtains are designed for you, which means they cater to the specific needs and requirements of your space. The application of plastic door curtains will benefit a wide variety of workspaces, including – but not limited to:

• Freezers and cool rooms.
• Soft wall clean rooms.
• Retail environments, stock rooms in particular.
• Warehouses.
• Manufacturing facilities.
• Welding bays.
• Healthcare facilities.
• Food processing plants.

Plastic door curtains offer superior protection against contaminants and common chemicals in your space, and they establish a safer and cleaner environment for your staff. The variety of different plastics available gives you options for deciding what contaminants you want to protect against, for example:

• Dust.
• Fumes.
• Weather.
• Chemicals.
• Pollution.
• Pests.
• Birds.

Why Do You Need Soundproofing?

As the name implies, you need soundproofing to reduce the noise emitted from heavy industrial and construction equipment.

However, reducing annoying noise is far from the only reason why you should soundproof your workplace.

Continuous exposure to loud noise is more than just irritating, it can also result in permanent health problems.

Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent results of excessive noise.

Noise-induced hearing loss is permanent hearing damage caused by exposure to constant noise.

This damage happens slowly as workers deal with constant noise over a long period of time, so many people may not notice it when it is happening.

It is actually the most common kind of workplace injury and, worst of all, is irreversible once it has happened.

Different Kinds Of Soundproofing

When you work in construction you are bound to experience some loud noises.

Heavy-duty equipment can produce incredible sounds as it works, and many people think that this is a part of the job that you just need to deal with.

While it is inevitable that equipment will make noise, this doesn’t mean that there is no way to manage it.

There are many more available soundproofing solutions than just mass loaded vinyl alone.

You might be surprised by the sheer variety of options available Here are a few of the methods you can use to keep noise down in your plant or on your site:

Energy control that’s cost effective.

Energy costs are an aspect of production that every business needs to put a lot of consideration into tackling in these times of high energy costs and environmental impacts.

Strip curtains are an extremely affordable way to reduce the loss of energy, this is because they help to maintain the temperature within a controlled environment much better than a conventional door could ever manage to.

Strip curtains are able to prevent up to 90% of air loss when used in appropriate situations, as well as being much easier for employees and vehicles to move through. For example, when used in places like a cool room or freezer, the refrigerated area’s temperature will be more stable, resulting in less shrinkage, product spoilage, and reduced wear and tear on compressors, switches and motors.

Noise is better isolated.

Worksites can have overwhelming noise levels for the employees working there, which can have detrimental impacts on their focus as well as their physical and mental health, so taking every precaution possible to avoid noise pollution is key to a healthy work environment.

Utilising the correct technologies is essential for this reason.

Noise from any equipment, loading docks, and workstations from nearby work areas massively contribute to an unsafe environment for workers, but having door strips installed could lessen the noise by up to 17 decibels if used in applicable situations.

They act as protection from insects and vermin.

In all industries of work, contamination is a big problem.

Contrary to what you may think, it’s not just food sectors that are vulnerable to vermin and insects contaminating products, other sectors that have stock and equipment left uncovered are affected by contamination problems.

In order to combat against insects and vermin, as well as birds and other pests, strip doors are great to use – especially in places where doors may not have been used initially.

They can help by preventing insects and the like from getting into your site without having any natural light reduced or obstructing the ease of having an open walkway, compared to a door.

How Soundproofing Blankets Work

Soundproofing blankets are large, flexible noise barriers that are constructed from blanket-like materials and are specifically designed to dampen and absorb noise. What makes them different from their rigid panel alternatives is their amazing flexibility and adaptability to custom fit any scale construction project.

Sound blankets dampen and deaden sound through their unique composition and sound absorption technology. Constructed of several thin and insulating layers, sound blankets use sound absorption as a means for reducing noise from building and construction sites. Soundproofing blankets have multifaceted soft panels that insulate and reduce the vibration of nearby machinery and tools, making them an efficient and reliable solution for your construction work.

When To Use A Soundproofing Blanket

Due to the diversity in their applications, sound blankets are a popular instalment for many events and construction sites, as they are easy to install, cost-effective and provide a thin, lightweight barrier that minimizes sound and controls the environments they surround.

Sound blankets not only offer you a cost-effective solution for your environment, but they are also a great insulator for both internal and external construction sites, as they can be effectively applied to:

• Doors.
• Windows.
• Walls
• Floors.
• Feelings.
• Over or around appliances.
• Bedrooms.
• Bathrooms.
• Garages.
• All types of fences.
• Heavy machinery.

Because of the vast range of applications and their affordability, sound blankets are one of the most popular methods for sound insulation and control. Whether you require sound insulation for a large-scale commercial project, or if you’re carrying out home renovations, a lightweight barrier will make a world of difference to those neighbouring your site. Protecting others from the sound effects of your construction work will provide you with security and peace of mind throughout your project, as well as the added privacy from the opaque soft panels.

How To Choose A High-Quality Soundproofing Blanket

Now that we can see where sound blankets can be installed, and how diverse they are in their applications, let’s look at the differences in their construction and what makes an effective soundproofing blanket. Purchasing a soundproofing solution that is tailored to your needs is an important investment, which means knowing how it is made and what it is made of is critical for understanding whether or not it is suitable for your applications.

Factors To Consider

The key factors affecting a curtain’s suitability for a particular project fall into two fundamental classes – environmental factors and site conditions. The former includes water, wind, and current, while the latter involves project type and duration.

One of the most important factors of all, however, is depth.

Appropriate Depth

Turbidity curtains allow suspended sediment to settle by disrupting the flow of water. This means that your curtain has to be deep enough to disrupt the current while remaining clear from the sea bed at low tide. Where necessary, it must also be at a depth that complies with environmental regulations.

It’s important to note that silt curtains do not need to reach a river or sea bed to be effective. Generally, you should allow a minimum of half a metre between the curtain and sea bed at low tide.

Why is this the case?

A turbidity curtain promotes the settling of sediment by driving particles closer to the sea bed. As water always follows the path of least resistance, this means that it will pass between the curtain’s bottom edge and the sea bed. This gap between the curtain and sea bed provides more effective pressure release, helping force the sediment deep enough, improving settlement.

What happens if your silt curtain is too deep?

If silt curtains are too deep, slack can be generated in the fabric at low tide. This can create issues during periods of high wind. The slack will billow, creating strong forces against the curtain and mooring systems.

In calm water, sediment could also build up over the ballast chain, which can start to drag the curtain down.

In moving water, the curtain needs to be able to move freely so that the force of the water can pass through and underneath it. When the skirts are at full depth, the curtain’s surface area in the water column increases, increasing the forces the curtain is subjected to.

Other Important Factors To Consider

The Waterway

If you plan to deploy silt curtains in open water, they need to be robust enough to handle all sea states, wind, and tidal flow conditions. Open water often calls for a curtain made of heavier duty materials to ensure longevity.

The Project Duration

If the curtain is going to be deployed for longer than 12 months, it will need to withstand a wider range of weather and current conditions than a curtain for a shorter project. You will ideally want to look for one with increased buoyancy made from a heavier grade geotextile.

Buy High-Quality Noise Barrier Products

Not all noise barriers are the same, so make sure you buy yours from a company with a good reputation. It’s also important to choose noise barriers with a proven track record of success.

Check the Noise Reduction Capabilities

This could be measured in decibels, by a percentage, or using an STC rating. STC, or Sound Transmission Class, ratings indicate how well the construction noise barrier reduces sound. Your supplier can give you this information.

Choose an Option You Can Customise

Construction noise barriers offer a fantastic opportunity for branding and delivering messages to the public and potential customers. So, make sure you choose a barrier solution that can be supplied to you fully customised.

Get Barriers That are Lightweight and Flexible

Lightweight and flexible barriers are easy to install and relocate during the construction work and when you are finished.

Assess Where to Install the Construction Barrier

In general, the closer construction noise barriers are installed to the source of the sound, the more effective they are. You also need to consider the impact on productivity as well as how you will fix the barriers in place.

Conduct a Risk Assessment

It’s also important to determine the impact of the noise barrier installation, particularly in relation to the impact of weather on the noise barrier, the safe movement of vehicles, and the safe movement of people.

Take Accurate Measurements

Gaps and unprotected sections of a construction noise barrier can greatly reduce the overall performance.

Implement Other Noise Control Solutions on Your Construction Site

You will get maximum performance from your construction noise barrier if you also minimise the noise of your construction site. An effective method of reducing noise without impacting productivity is to install noise barrier solutions on noisy equipment. This includes pumps, generators, rock breakers, and pile rigs.

Choose the Right Noise Barrier Product

Everything starts with the noise barrier product you choose. A high-quality option that is flexible and adaptable is always the best choice as you will get better and more long-lasting results.

Consider Your Requirements

The type of soundproofing solution that is best for your needs will depend on your specific requirements. For example, do you want to soundproof a room to keep internal noise from getting out or to prevent external noise from coming in? The source of the noise is important too.

For example, a solution for a building that is in use but where part of it is being renovated will have a different requirement to an industrial setting or production facility where the space is larger, and the required solution is more permanent.

Check if You Can Soundproof the Source of the Noise

Soundproofing the source of the noise might be a more viable, effective, and cost-effective option than soundproofing an entire room or area. At Duraflex, for example, we can customise our noise barriers to suit any equipment or machinery.

Soundproof Walls, Floors, and Ceilings

Soundproofing walls is usually the first step you have to take, but you may need to use a noise blanket or barrier to soundproof your ceiling and floor as well, particularly if the room you need to soundproof is in a multi-storey building.

A hospital is a good example. Part or all of a floor in a hospital building could be undergoing renovation work. Soundproofing the walls is important in these situations but you will enhance the soundproofing effect if you also soundproof the ceilings and/or floors.

Don’t Forget the Doors and Windows

A lot of excess noise gets into a room (or out of a room depending on your situation) through doors and windows. Therefore, you need to think about soundproofing windows and doors as well.

The same applies to open areas like hallways and corridors. You may need to hang a soundproofing barrier in these locations too.

Installation

Depending on the product you choose, the installation of noise blankets and barriers should be a straightforward process. Our noise barrier solutions, for example, come with both eyelets and Velcro fitting options, making them easy to install.

Excess noise presents a risk to employees in a range of situations including:

• Construction workers as the noise levels of construction sites often exceed what experts believe is safe
• Workers at events, concerts, or festivals where there is loud music or audio
• Employees who work in close proximity to loud machinery
• Workers who don’t typically work in a noisy environment, but who are exposed to noise temporarily because of a new situation

A good example of the last point in the list above is an individual that works in an office while the office is undergoing construction work. Their work area might not be part of the construction work, but they could be close enough to be impacted by the noise.

Other Benefits of Installing Temporary Noise Barriers

Protecting the hearing of your employees is the main benefit of noise barrier solutions. After all, permanent damage can be caused to your hearing if you are exposed to noises that are too loud.

In all the above situations, noise can cause hearing problems for employees. Installing a temporary noise barrier is an effective and affordable risk-mitigating solution.

That said, there are other benefits that temporary noise barriers offer – benefits that ensure safe working conditions for your employees. These benefits include:

• Increased productivity – when employees are exposed to excess noise, they become distracted, reducing their productivity levels. They may also have to repeat tasks because of problems and errors caused by the noise.
• Reduces stress – excess noise can increase the stress of employees too, not least because of the point above. Not only are stressed employees bad for your business, but stress is bad for both the physical and mental health of the people on your team.
• Helps to reduce the impact of other pollutants – the activities or machines causing excess noise can also create other pollutants that can impact the health and safe working conditions of employees. This includes exhaust fumes from machines and vehicles as well as dust, dirt, and other debris from, for example, construction work. Depending on the temporary noise barrier you choose, it will provide a level of protection for your employees from these pollutants.

Modern Attitudes to Health and Safety

Ensuring your employees are healthy and are able to work in a safe environment is becoming more important. The expectations of employees as well as the government is that employers should take all reasonable measures to create safe working conditions.

In the past, noise may not have been high on the list of priorities. Where noise barriers where installed, it was often to prevent complaints from others.

That is still important today, but the health and safety factor is more so.

The following 12 benefits of dust control curtains will give you the answers you need.

1. Prevents Contamination from Dust

Let’s start with the most obvious – dust control curtains prevent areas in your facility or building from being contaminated by dust. They are a proven and highly effective dust control solution that is suitable for just about any situation or location.

2. Prevents Contamination from Fumes and Smoke

In addition to controlling dust, dust control curtains are also effective at preventing contamination from fumes and smoke.

This doesn’t apply to just workers either. On renovation projects in large buildings, for example, dust curtains can be installed to stop dust, fumes, and smoke from getting into areas of the building that are not part of the renovation but are instead being used as normal.

3. Protects the Health of Workers and Others

Dust and other contaminants can impact the health of workers and others in a number of different ways. This includes breathing in dust and the effect it has on the lungs and airways, plus dust can irritate the eyes and skin.

Fumes and smoke can also impact the health of workers and others. Dust curtains help to protect people from this danger too.

4. Stops Dust and Fumes from Becoming a Distraction to Workers

Dust can also be a nuisance. It gets in the way, it makes work areas and other locations untidy, and it can be a distraction to workers, preventing them from getting on with their normal duties.

5. Increases Productivity

Following on from the above point, dust curtains can increase productivity as workers are not distracted by dust. In addition, they don’t have to take steps to avoid dust and they don’t need to carry out as much cleaning in areas that are protected by the dust curtain.

6. Reduces the Impact Dust Can Have on Product Quality

Dust getting into a product at any stage of the production process can have a significant impact on product quality. This includes dust that contaminates raw materials right up to dust that affects the finishing process on the production line.

As ensuring consistent quality standards is crucial to production line effectiveness and overall profitability, the importance of this point cannot be overstated.

This is especially applicable in locations that deal with food, chemicals, medicines, high precision components, and other materials and products that are highly sensitive to contamination.

7. Mitigates the Dangers Presented by Dust

Dust is usually nothing more than an annoyance, although it can be a costly annoyance as illustrated in the previous point.

Dust can be dangerous too, though.

For a start, bacteria can be present on the surface of dust particles.

Also, dust particles can become charged, making dust flammable in certain situations. There are also conditions where dust can explode, making it even more dangerous.

8. Reduces the Need for Cleaning

If there is dust, you need to allocate resources to clean it. By containing and controlling dust and other contaminants, you make the cleaning process easier, more effective, and more efficient. You will also reduce the cost of cleaning.

9. Helps to Control Temperature

In addition to preventing dust and other contaminants from entering a protected area, dust curtains also help to control temperature. A good example is where dust curtains are used in refrigerators or freezers where they prevent contamination while also keeping hot air out and cold air in.

10. Easy to Install

Of course, dust curtains are not the only solution that is available that controls dust and other contaminants. Compared to all the other options, however, dust curtains are the easiest to install.

In addition, they are easy to adjust and move as the requirements of your business change.

Plus, there are options for a range of situations including food-grade dust curtains, options that repel insects, and dust curtains that reduce glare.

11. Reduces the Need for Expensive Dust Mitigation Solutions

Following on from the above point, the alternatives to dust control curtains are expensive. This includes building new walls or installing exhaust systems.

Installing dust curtains instead is the more cost-effective and flexible approach.

12. Takes Up a Minimal Amount of Space

Finally, while most dust curtains, including those we supply in Australia at Duraflex, are strong and durable, they are also thin so don’t take up much space in your facility.

In other words, dust curtains reduce the nuisance factor that dust often comes with.