Soundproofing Airport HVAC System
Serving over 37.8 million passengers every year, Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport relies on clear communication to help travelers navigate throughout the airport's three enormous terminals. In addition to knowing where they need to go, the over 100,000 passengers and guests that pass through Sky Harbor's doors every day must be kept comfortable.
With the large number of HVAC systems radiating throughout each terminal, it was imperative that a solution was sought to diminish this noise from transmitting throughout the walls of the ducts.
Application Introduction
"Flight 6836 to Fairbanks Alaska now boarding at gate T2"; "Wheelchair needed at gate C17 for passenger assistance"; the personal address (PA) systems at airports convey critical information all the time. Hearing the announcements clearly is vital, thus airports must go to great lengths to ensure good communication.
Clearly marked gates, informational signs, arrival and departure boards and easily understood verbal communication help airports run as smoothly as possible. The hard reverberant surfaces that are prevalent in airports, which bounce noises around creating an echo, make verbal communication extremely difficult. Therefore airport authorities require that all background noise be at an absolute minimum, including noise from the HVAC system.
Thus, the city of Phoenix set specific noise criteria for the HVAC units, and the associated ductwork that runs throughout the terminals. To meet these noise requirements the architects contacted Acoustical Solutions, Inc. seeking recommendations.
Treatment Provided
The AB-10 LAG/QFA-3 Acoustical Pipe and Duct Lagging material was the recommended choice. This acoustical composite consists of a one pound psf foil faced barrier bonded to a one inch thick quilted fiberglass absorber.
Along with the other products in Acoustical Solution’s lag product family, the AB-10 LAG/ QFA-3 is specifically designed for wrapping the exterior of pipes and ducts. The foil facing allows for easy, time saving installation of the product by utilizing a matching lag tape to seal horizontal and vertical seams.
The fiberglass absorber/decoupler allows the flexible noise barrier to achieve optimum sound attenuation. It also adds significant thermal insulation.
Quantitive Results
After seeing how well the lagging product had worked to help reduce the noise in Terminal 3, the decision to specify their product again was an easy one. The AB-10 LAG/QFA-3 was "as easy to install as any product of that type.”
For more information on this application, contact David Ingersoll.
