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It's called "THE BIG DIG". Boston's Central
Artery and Harbor Tunnel project is the largest highway
construction job ever undertaken in the United States...at
a cost over $11 billion dollars!
 One
sensitive issue of such a significant project is how
construction noise will impact local businesses and
residences. Quincy Marketplace, a unique, open-air collection
of restaurants, shops and offices, is located adjacent
to a section of the project requiring working underneath
an overhead highway, while a densely populated residential
area is located on the opposite side. Thus, the noise
impact upon the Marketplace and residences is even greater
from the direct construction noise as well as the reflected
noise off the deck.
It was determined that Audioseal
Combination Blanket ABBC-13-2" Acoustical Curtain
Panels would offer the required noise reduction.
ABBC-13-2"
Acoustical Curtain Panels are a combination of a
2" thick vinyl-faced Quilted Fiberglass Sound Absorber
and a 1 lb PSF reinforced loaded vinyl noise barrier.
Modular Panels are constructed with grommets for attaching
to the framework as well as exterior grade hook and
loop fasteners for joining adjacent panels together.
Over 400 such panels within a three week period. As
the panels were being installed, preliminary sound level
testing showed a 9 to 10 dB(A)
reduction in noise levels even before the entire job
site was buttoned up. This was just the kind of noise
reduction promised to the local community. Many other
sections of the massive project have also utilized the
Sound
Seal Curtain Panels with even better results since
they were not located below an overpass, with completed
sections showing noise reductions up to 12 dB(A).
A common treatment is to have the Audioseal
Curtains installed on fence posts inserted in pre-cast
concrete highway barriers. This allows for the noise
reduction treatment to be easily relocated along with
the highway barriers.
 In
conjunction with the Noise Barrier/Sound Absorption
Walls, we also manufactured a significant quantity of
portable "Hoistable Curtain Enclosures". The
ABBC-13-2" Acoustical Curtain Panels are installed
on heavy- duty frames to drop-over jackhammer operations
during that phase of construction. The jack-hammer operator
works inside the three-sided roof enclosure to screen
that very loud operation from the neighbors. The enclosure
is then lifted by crane and dropped onto the next section
they are working on. By combining a sound absorber with
a noise barrier at construction projects such as these,
the AudioSeal
Acoustical Curtain Panels offer noise reduction
for construction workers as well as serving the primary
purpose of keeping noise levels at a minimum in the
neighborhood.
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