Overview
One of the things that becomes an unpredictable issue of a building, especially with a centralized air conditioning system, is the noise and vibrations it creates.
Calculating noise from every part of the HVAC system is needed to avoid unwanted noises in adjacent rooms.
Every sound that is heard can usually be identified through its frequency range. In relation to frequency range, noise that occurs related to the HVAC system is divided into 3 categories within the frequency range:
- Low Frequency
- Mid Frequency
- High Frequency
All the noise above can be avoided if we know how to design HVAC system acoustically and each of these issues must be addressed.
The vibrations produced from up-and-down, side-to-side, or rocking motion by mechanical equipment in buildings can be felt (< 20 Hz) and heard by building occupants. When vibrations are accompanied by noise, they tend to be more annoying. Vibrations can travel in solid building elements such as columns, beams, and floor slabs (called structure-borne sound) and may be reradiated as airborne sound great distances away from the source. Resilient mounts should be used to isolate the vibrating equipment (and anything rigidly connected to it) from the building structure.