Kudos for ACCON UK Crossrail construction project

ROYSTON, U.K. - Oct. 14, 2013 - PRLog -- ACCON UK’s work, on behalf of Anderson Acoustics for a Crossrail project, has won the Environmental Acoustics award category, sponsored by Bruel & Kjaer, at the Association of Noise Consultants’ (ANC) new awards scheme.

The awards - presented at a dinner on 8th October in Birmingham’s Crowne Plaza hotel - were launched to promote and recognise excellence among UK acoustic consultants and raise the profile of the acoustics industry.

ACCON UK’s project - BFK JV Tunnelling (Royal Oak - Farringdon) - Crossrail Contract C300 - had to meet exceptionally stringent acoustic criteria from Crossrail, related to re-radiated noise from the construction of the Crossrail tunnel.

Its challenge was to implement robust vibration modelling, for the movement of construction trains within the tunnel, in order to derive noise levels within sensitive properties above the tunnel. The noise and vibration model had been refined empirically by the measurement of exceptionally low levels of vibration, emanating from the temporary underground construction railway track, which has two main track variants - one of which has a level of vibration isolation introduced between the sleepers and the tunnel walls (segments), where the tunnel runs below particularly sensitive receptor locations.

The project represents the first rigorous method of determining noise and vibration at properties, above the tunnel, emanating from construction trains within a tunnel for the Crossrail project, with an associated detailed validation exercise in line with ISO 14837-1’Mechanical vibration - Ground-borne noise and vibration arising from rail systems’.

ACCON UK Managing Director, Graham Parry said: “This project has been one of the most challenging rail projects that I have worked on during a career of over 40 years. It has also been a great experience, particularly as our client BAM Ferrovial Kier (BFK) JV was a very receptive and responsive client to what - at times - may have seemed like our sometimes difficult requirements. ACCON were specifically appointed as sub-consultants to Anderson Acoustics in order to advise on ground borne noise and vibration, whilst Anderson Acoustics dealt with all other aspects of noise and vibration on the construction project. The working arrangements between ACCON and Anderson Acoustics ensured that the client received a highly professional service at all times and is a very good example of how competing consultancies can work together for the good of their client.”

"The quality of entries for the Environmental Acoustics category was extremely high and the judges faced quite a challenge to make a choice,” said Bruel & Kjaer European Sales Director, Christophe Sinsou. “ACCON UK demonstrated excellent results on a difficult project and we’re extremely pleased to see them receive acknowledgment with this award.”

As well as the Environmental Acoustics category, ANC’s award scheme featured three other sections including Architectural Acoustics, sponsored by Ecophon; Best Presentation, sponsored by IAC; and Sound Insulation Design, sponsored by Robust Details.