To create a road noise acoustic certificate, I will first build a computer model of the ground contours (hills, valleys etc) around your new house site, using my GIS and environmental noise modelling software, my regional data libraries, and my local knowledge and experience.

Then I add in geo-referenced aerial photography and your supplied house site plan.

Next, I add any local roads to the computer model, in-putting the road traffic counts, road surface type, percentage of heavy traffic, speed limits etc.

From there, my software will model the expected road noise levels at your new house site.

In a next step I can calculate what soundproofing requirements will be needed to achieve your local council’s design requirements, and certify that design as a person appropriately qualified and experienced in acoustics.

This is a routine day at the office for me. I stick to small designs, with fast delivery and economical price points. Ask for me a quote; I enjoy doing this kind of computer modelling work.

STC (sound transmission class or airborne noise soundproofing tests) involves making some very loud noise in one apartment or building unit and then measuring how loud it is in the first unit and in the unit next door. I have specialist gear to do this, and I have done over 10,000 of these tests over the last 30 years.

IIC (impact insulation class, or structural vibration, or footstep noise tests) involves running a specialist tapping machine on the floor in an upstairs unit or apartment, then measuring how loud it is downstairs. Again, I have specialist gear to do this, and I have done over 10,000 of these tests over the last 30 years.

I can do these tests in my sleep, and I understand that delivery of these can be time-critical for you. Try to give me as much notice as you can if you need some of these tests on a certain date for your building CCC. But if you forget, give me a try, I might still be able to help you quickly.

If you want to build a new home next to an existing airport, the home needs to be designed to be quiet enough to live in, with an airport operating next door or above you.

Rotorua, Hamilton and Whitianga airports publish airport noise contours online, showing the areas around the airport where any planned new houses will need a soundproofing design.

Usual soundproofing design tools will be an extra layer of plasterboard on walls and ceilings, laminated windows and a silenced fresh-air supply. I do these small design jobs and acoustic design certificates regularly.

Tauranga City Council does not yet seem to publish airport noise contours or require these types of certificates or future-proofing for Tauranga Airport.

It’s difficult to model how loud a train line will be in 10 years’ time when you don’t know how many trains and what type of train will be on the tracks, or if the tracks will be electrified.

Currently, KiwiRail’s reverse sensitivity noise guidelines advise to model to an LAeq 1hr rail noise level of 70dBA at 12m distance from the track.

With that agreed design guideline as to how loud a railway line should be modelled as, I can create a ground terrain computer simulation which will model how loud the railway noise will be at your new house site.

From there, I can specify how and certify what building design requirements will be necessary to achieve KiwiRail’s interior design noise levels.

Usual design tools will be, possibly, an extra layer of plasterboard, laminated windows and a silenced fresh-air supply.