Top of the Town Noise Abatement Solution, Sydney Town Hall, CBD
A notable trial of gas turbines to generate electricity to power a heating and cooling system atop of the historic Sydney Town Hall – the official ‘home’ of the Council of the City of Sydney is a remarkable milestone, almost as historic as the building that has housed the Council since 1884. As part of this historic Trigeneration System installation, a noise attenuation screen was required around the plant deck on the rooftop to alleviate all unwanted noise. The screen required to extend above and below the new steel deck containing the gas turbines. The acoustic specification by Resonate Acoustics required the noise barrier to be constructed from materials to achieve an internal absorption surface with a NRC rating of 0.9 or above and the external imperforate material to achieve a minimum RW25. Finally, the noise mitigation solution had to be aesthetically welcoming and complement the pre-existing and historically significant building structure.
The solution offered by Modular Wall Systems™ included a 3.6 metre high steel structure that held our proprietary AcoustiSorb™ 75mm panels. These panels have a perforated face to absorb sound waves within its core material, resulting in an NRC rating > 0.9. A set of 2.4m wide double doors were also required and constructed from the AcoustiSorb 75mm panels. Modular Wall Systems™ installed the required panels in carefully planned site visits across a 4 day period. This precise planning meant the construction of the noise barrier was able to occur without hitch or additional contractors. The pre-finish ‘paper bark’ coloured panels ensured there was no requirement for painting following installation. The colour matched harmoniously with the existing and historic building – much to the delight of the client. Modular Wall System™ managed the entire process from concept drawings, detailed design and engineering through to installation, which is why they are Australia’s leader and fastest growing manufacturer of commercial acoustic walls.
